


Calibrate Vol. II

by misdanbe



Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:54:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 29
Words: 31,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25941691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misdanbe/pseuds/misdanbe
Summary: book 2 of Callisto! The red war has begun and everything's gone to SH!T! Will the power of love and family combat the overwhelming amount of trauma? Will anybody stop pining? Only one way to find out.
Relationships: Cayde-6/Female Guardian (Destiny), Female Guardian/Shaxx (Destiny), ok cayde isnt here yet but soon
Comments: 26
Kudos: 47





	1. 0

From one, many, and from many, one.


	2. 4 hours

He sat motionless as his ship sped off, replaying her descent in his head until he felt his chest tighten. Then he watched it again.  
“Cayde…” Sundance sat cradled in his hands, weak. “Talk to me.”  
“You know the last thing I said to her.” His voice was void of emotion, a tone she hated hearing. “‘Promise me you’ll live.’”  
“It’s not your fault. No one knew… any of this…” Her eye was dim. “...would happen.”  
“I was in charge of her. It’s entirely my fault. I left.”  
“No, Cayde.” Her eye narrowed. “You didn’t know. You were just trying to defend the City. The only person responsible is whoever threw her off. And we’ll kill them. Alright?”  
“Alright.”  
“We just...have to be careful.”  
He bitterly chuckled. “I’d better learn how to do that quick, shouldn’t I?”


	3. 12 hours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "im not ur mom" nalim says, providing for her dumb kids in every possible way

They both silently watched her silhouette stand crouched at the mouth of the cave.  
Europa tore her gaze off their sentry and turned to him, both of them sitting against a wall. It was hard stone, and cold to the touch, but at least it wasn’t wet. Unlike them. ‘How’re you feeling?”  
He sighed into a laugh. “Heavy. Not as cold, though. You?”  
“Also heavy. Cold, though. Bastard.” She playfully glared at him, and he laughed. “How long do you think it’s been?”  
“In here or since…?”  
Nalim turned, looking over her shoulder.  
Europa covered her mouth. “Are we being too loud?”  
“No,” She took off her cloak and threw it at both of them. “You’re alright. Stay here. I’ll be fast.”  
“Where’re you going?”  
“To answer your question, it’s morning.” She summoned Asha. “Stay with them.”  
Asha, strained as she was, turned in obvious protest. “Absolutely not. What if something happens to you?”  
“You won’t be able to do anything anyways.” Nalim let her go, and she hovered in the space between them and her. “If I don’t come back in by the time an hour has passed, leave.”  
“You’re not leaving me!”  
“Asha, you can guide them if I die. If both of us die, so do they.”  
Europa stood, moving next to Asha. “Nalim, if you get hurt at least she can heal you.”  
“You don’t know that yet.”  
She glared, taking the knife off her belt and pricking her finger. Leo appeared over her shoulder, and the nick disappeared. “Now I do.”  
Nalim’s face twisted in irritation. “Europa, that was foolish. What if he couldn’t?”  
“Calculated risk. And he did. Take her with you.” She sheathed the knife. “Where’re you going?”  
Her glare did not weaken. “I’m going to hunt. Then we’ll eat, put out our fire and keep moving before the Cabal patrols catch us and kill us. While I’m gone, you two need to stay warm and quiet. Understand, or do you want to fight about something else?”  
Europa exhaled. “Got it. Warm and quiet.”  
She disappeared into the rainy haze outside, glowering.  
Asha turned to her. “Thank you, Europa.”  
She gave a sideways smile. “Bring her back.”  
\--  
They sat together, the cloak laid out on the floor in front of them. It was soaked from the rain still.  
“Lexi?”  
His hand encapsulated hers, and he rhythmically tapped each of her knuckles. He didn’t answer.  
“Do you wanna… talk about it?” Her head leaned on his shoulder, despite the cold metal. “Cal, I mean…” Her throat tightened. She’d been holding it back, but the wall threatened to fall.  
He was quiet for a moment.  
“If you don’t, you don’t h-”  
“At least it was fast.”  
She stopped. “...Yeah.”  
\--  
“Leo, how long has it been since she left?”  
He appeared into her waiting hands. “54 minutes.”  
They looked at each other skeptically.  
Alexi shook his head. “I’m not leaving.”  
“Neither am I.”  
They sat quietly together for another minute before Europa got up. She picked up her rifle and knelt at the cave entrance, peering fruitlessly into the morning fog.  
“Euri…”  
“I won’t get seen. Promise.” She glanced at him over her shoulder, pointing to her eye. “I don’t glow, unlike you tw-” She turned back to the fog. “Unlike you.”  
\--  
Leo hovered quietly between Europa and the wall. “59 minutes.”  
She looked back to Alexi, expression slipping into worry.  
He moved forward, squeezing her shoulder. “She’ll come back. She has to.”  
Suddenly, something shifted in the grass outside, and both of their heads flicked to the noise. It sounded like something was being...dragged. Every worst-case scenario flashed through their head in seconds.  
Europa had the rifle up in seconds. “I’LL SHOOT!”  
“Best fuckin’ not.”  
She lowered it. “Oh thank god. Nalim.”  
Nalim’s light hair was the first noticeable thing to emerge from the wall of grey. Then her face, body, and the large antler she had in her hands. She was covered in dirt and blood, and dragged something behind her slowly. As she came into view, so did the deer.  
“Alexi, please help.” She let go of the deer’s antler and shambled into the cave, propping herself against a wall and sliding down. “I told you two to leave if I took too long.”  
Leo followed Europa around as she kneeled next to her. “You had 40 seconds left to spare.”  
Nalim tilted her head back, chuckling. “Of course you were counting.”  
“You said it yourself. We get left alone and we die.” Europa smiled bitterly. “Not much of a choice then, is it?”  
“Well, I’m glad you did. Otherwise, I hunted the only thing I could find for no reason.” She sighed, tension leaving her shoulders. “Think the Cabal either killed or scared away anything else.”  
Alexi dragged the deer inside with little effort. “How will we eat this?”  
“Easy.” She groaned, pushing up off the floor and crawling to the middle. “Here’s where I teach you how to be Lightless. Get two rocks.”


	4. 24 hours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tw: death mention

They walked single file through trees when Asha appeared to them.  
“The emergency channel is broadcasting.”  
Nalim turned, gathering them in a huddle. “Get down. Keep your volume low.”  
Asha took the center, and the weak connection flickered to life. The voice was nothing they recognized.  
Nalim sighed, shoulders dropping. “It’s a preset message.”  
“It’s just numbers.”  
“They’re rendevous coordinates.” She looked at her Ghost. Time seemed to be running through her fingers. “They’re evacuating the planet.”  
“Are we gonna make that?” Europa’s eyes flicked between her companions.  
Nalim sighed. “No. It’s on the other side of the City. Not only would we have to backtrack, we’d either have to circle the City with a wide distance, or go through and hope the Cabal never see us. It’s too much of a risk.”  
“We could go back for…”  
Nalim shut her eyes in frustration. “Euri, I know you want to give Cal a proper burial, but we can’t.” She held one of Euri’s hands, and tried to keep her voice steady. “I won’t dig your grave as well. Please. Losing two was enough.”  
Both of them looked at her in surprise, but Alexi was the one to speak.

“...Who else?”

She looked down at the grass underneath their feet. Shit. “River.”  
They were silent. Alexi covered his mouth with his hand, and Europa’s knees fell into the dirt.  
“A missile hit her apartment head-on in the first attacks.” She balled up her cloak in her hands. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.” Breathe. Not now.  
Alexi’s hand squeezed her shoulder. “It’s alright. We were...occupied.”  
Europa’s gaze turned down. “They really took… everything.”  
Nalim bit her lip. “No, they haven’t. Not yet. Keep your eyes up. We’ll mourn them when we’re safe.”  
“Safe?”  
She sighed. “Safer.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this is way less happy but like. its a war. u get it. there will be happy parts :)


	5. 1 day, 4 hours

Another cave.  
They’d dried the rain from their clothes a long time ago, but the sun’s absence still left the stones cold. The City had left the horizon a long time ago, and out here there was little activity to speak of. No Cabal ships had been sighted for hours. This is what Europa assumed hunters meant when they said “reaching the wilds”. It felt new, lawless, and so very far from safe.  
She turned onto her side, facing her younger counterpart.  
“Lexi?”  
His optics warmed up, and he hummed in question.  
“Were you raised in a cave?”  
“Mm. No.”  
“Where were you raised? Do you remember?”  
“I think…” He laid with his head on his hands. “I was laying down. In grass. A clearing.”  
“Sounds nice.”  
“It was.” He smiled minutely. “Why ask?”  
“I was raised in a cave. So was Cal.” She turned on her back to face the cave ceiling once more. “And here I am again.”  
He hummed. “Was it the same cave?”  
“I don’t know. I always meant to ask her to describe it. Or go hunting for our mysterious respective caves.” Her throat tightened. “Too late now.”  
He turned on his back, and held up his hand. When she took it, he began his knuckle-tapping once again. “The time it took for me to walk to the City was the only time I have ever known life without her.” She squeezed his hand when his voice wavered. “I never wanted to know it again so soon.”  
She wiped her cheek on her sleeve, bitterly chuckling. “You’re just stuck with me and Nalim now. Sorry.”  
He turned his head to look at her, red eyes terrifying in the dark if he wasn’t Alexi. “You are not allowed to die. I am the one made of metal. I take the bullets. You set the fires.”  
She smiled weakly. “Good system. What’s Mom do?”  
“Critique us when we’re done.” His faceplates spread in an amused smile.  
Nalim snorted, gaze still out in the night. “Damn right. Could you two try sleeping?”


	6. 2 days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ghaul: ill make you mortal and then drop you into a burning city. that'll kill you  
> callisto: u probably have the right idea. but the WRONG bitch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> excuse my potty mouth its for comedic effect

Cold.  
She awoke, immediately gasping for air. The intake shot needles of pain through her entire abdomen, ringing down her ribcage. The only thing she could focus on was the dark clouds above her. They moved by in slow motion, black as smoke. Her thoughts progressed as if she was rebooting.  
“Arg-” Pain, strong and clear. “Argo?”  
Nothing.  
She clenched and unclenched her hands, feeling the dirt underneath them. It fell easily around her arms, and when she turned her head, she realized whatever she was in, it was bowl-shaped. A crater.  
“I fell.” She mumbled in slight shock, recognizing her own breath on her face. The mask was still on. “Ar...go?”  
She remembered watching him fall over the edge of the ship, the pit of her stomach getting cold. But the idea that he was gone was vehemently rejected. She would search.  
With a great heave of effort, she rolled over, and pushed herself out of the crater. Her arm hurt bad, but it was nothing to the blinding pain of her chest. She held her hands over the pain, quietly whining.  
The City around her was shattered and burned. The road broke in several places in front of the place she’d fallen, and the stores that lined the street were black with shadows and smoke. Ash covered the front of her, as well as almost everything in sight.  
The humming of an unfamiliar ship got louder, jumpstarting her heart. She scrambled to the shadows in the corner, holding her chest and biting her tongue. She watched as a loud Cabal cargo ship rumbled past her street, a spotlight slowly tracing over the broken cement.  
It disappeared from view within minutes, but the adrenaline still pumped through her.  
“Argo?” She slowly trudged out of the corner and into the street. Every motion made her flinch. Her voice came out scratchy. Unused. How long was she out? She coughed. “Argo?”  
No response.  
Desperately, she wanted to reach out with her Light. But the absence of it drained her to the brink, and no matter the effort, nothing would arise.  
A new noise joined the chorus of nothings in her surroundings. A sound she recognized. Her eyes flicked up hopefully.  
“Argo?”  
A ghost scanned a pile of rubble, shaking with effort. But when she spoke, he turned with knowing speed. “...Callisto?”  
She smiled, collapsing.  
“Callisto, oh my god.” He sped to her immediately, scanning her. “You’re alive. Your ribs are broken. I can fix it. I can fix it.” He scanned her, and the pain thankfully dissipated. “I can’t even begin to say how happy I am to see you.”  
“Right back at you.” She pushed herself off the dirt, and reached out. He accepted her hug eagerly. “How long have I been out?”  
“2 days.”  
“Oh god.”  
“I was so scared I’d never find you…” He disappeared, and she heard his voice echoing through her helmet. “You’re never leaving me again.”  
“I’m trying not to.” She bitterly chuckled.  
“What happened to you? After the Light…?”  
She grimaced, even though the pain was gone. “I tried to hold onto you. But he kicked me. Once, and I lost you over the edge. Twice, and I fell into the City.”  
“You fell from the command ship?”  
“Yes.”  
“I…” His voice paused. “And only a few broken ribs. I would say I couldn’t believe you survived that kind of fall, but. Here both of us are.”  
“How long have you been awake?”  
“A day. I woke when the emergency broadcast started playing.” His voice grew somber. “Rendezvous coordinates. The Cabal completely took over the City. They’re evacuating the planet.”

She paused. The weight of everything pounded down on her shoulders.

“Do you know if anybody..?”  
“Survived? No.”  
The chilling rumble of another ship began to shake the street.  
“We have to escape. Now.” The panic in his voice amplified hers. “I can’t revive you. We have to run, and we have one shot.”  
“Where do I go?”  
“I’m going to mark the way to the wall on your visor. But I cannot stress this enough. Do not speak. And do not get seen.”  
She nodded shakily, and began very carefully towards the first point.


	7. 3 days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> worst camping trip EVER

Alexi’s voice broke the hours-long silence of their trek.  
“Where...are we going?”  
Nalim chuckled sarcastically. “I wondered when either of you would ask. Took you long enough.”  
“We do have a destination, right?” Europa poked underbrush with her walking stick. “Or are we just walking until we reach a nice old ruin to settle down in? Play house until we die of old age? Are we going to age?”  
“We have a destination.”  
Alexi and Europa shared a glance of confusion. Maybe some irritation.  
“May we know what it is?” Alexi said.  
“No.”

Europa mouthed ‘cool.’ to him. He stifled a laugh.

“Can I ask you questions then?” Europa smiled. “Not about your secret lair. Just in general.”  
“Do you want to be shot and killed by Fallen?”  
Alexi sighed. “Will it stop the walking?”  
Nalim turned in scolding, but the faintest hints of a smile were there. “Alexi!”  
“Where even are the Fallen? I haven’t seen any since we left.”  
“They’re better at hiding than you are, Jupiter Three.”  
Europa rolled her eyes. “Can I PLEASE ask you questions?”  
“I wish you had never met Ikora.” Nalim groaned. “Fine!”  
“You know, Ikora isn’t the one who taught me to ask questions.”  
“Yes, but you and her share the same insatiable need to know. It was like an amplifier.” She waved her hand back and forth quickly. “Bouncing back and forth faster and faster.” She suddenly turned and pointed accusingly. “Do NOT make a joke.”  
Europa’s smile grew into a smirk. “I wasn’t thinking about it, but now…”  
Alexi covered his eyes with his hand. “Go back to questions.”  
“Yes, please. Ask me anything.”  
“Alright, alright.” The malice left her eyes momentarily. “Who did you meet first? After being raised?”  
“Asha. Next question.”  
Europa pinched her nose. “Not quite what I meant. Moving on. What do you know about your past life?”  
“I owned a car maybe.” She laughed to herself. “Hopefully. Next.”  
“Why do you say that?”  
“‘Cause I was raised in a car.”  
“In a car where?”  
“On the road.”  
“You cannot fathom how angry you make me sometimes.”  
“Oh, I can’t fathom?” She turned, expression incredulous. “Have you tried being in charge of you?”  
“I’m spontaneous.” She smirked. “Plus, what’re you gonna do, give me up for adoption?”  
“Contemplated it before.”  
“Oh come on, what have I done that was even that bad?”  
“Do you remember your first Crucible match?”  
Europa groaned, but Alexi visibly perked up. Nalim grinned.  
“Alexi, I told your sisters.” She paused, grimacing. “I told your sisters that if they ever wanted to participate in a Crucible match, they had to go through me. I would decide if they had enough training to put up a fight, and go with them to sign up. But until they had my permission, they were not to enter.” She relished Europa’s irritation. “You see, doing extremely poorly in a Crucible match is normal for new lights. They’re new. But these two were my charges. My students do not embarrass themselves. Or so I thought.”  
“We didn’t embarrass ourselves.”  
“Oh, you didn’t?”  
Europa got quiet. “Not...in the match...at least.”  
“Alexi, do you know what a Mayhem match is?”  
He gasped. “Oh no.”  
“Oh no is right.” Nalim laughed darkly. “Someone had decided that rather than take my route, she was going to join a Mayhem match, convince her sister to go with her, and see what happened. Not even a _normal_ Crucible match for your first run!”  
Europa smiled to herself. The story was not to her benefit, but watching her mentor’s energy return to tell it gave her a small sliver of hope. Maybe they would recover from this.  
Alexi’s eyes were comically wide. “What happened?”  
“I got a call from Shaxx.” She sighed. “He said two new lights were passed out after a particularly intense match and a few of the competitors said that they ‘belonged to the King-Killer.’ So I was being summoned to retrieve them.”  
“I don’t belong to you.” Europa scoffed.  
“I said the same thing, but you couldn’t really argue propped against the wall, could you?”  
Alexi’s eyes flicked between the both of them with extreme amusement.  
Nalim’s mischief subsided, and she smiled wistfully at the trees. “I couldn’t believe you two. Cal’s hair stood up for two days from all the energy.”  
They walked quietly for a painful few minutes.

Nalim turned again, looking over her shoulder with a weak smile. “Ask me something else.”


	8. 1 week

“Stop.”  
Nalim’s arm blocked their way forward. She picked up her rifle, bent behind a rock, and peered through the scope.  
They bent down in their places, trying to decipher what it was she saw. Europa spoke first.  
“What is it?”  
“Movement.”  
“Of?”  
“Good question, could you let me figure that out first?”  
Europa sighed, slinking further into the underbrush.  
A silent moment passed before Nalim stood. “It’s people.”  
“Like us kind of people?”  
She slung her rifle on her back and gave Europa a tired glance. “What. Does that mean.”  
“Are they City people and/or Guardians, or are they the people of the ‘wilds’?” She gave a special intonation to wilds.  
“I don’t know. But they’re not Cabal, and they’re not Fallen. We need to catch up with them before they leave. Come on.” She started her stride towards the edge of the forest.  
Alexi smiled, offering Europa a hand up. “Maybe there will be someone you know.” Something about the look in his eyes made that seem less than genuine.  
She raised an eyebrow. “Did the little angel just make a jab?”  
“I am just saying.” Now he was definitely smirking, his optics narrowed at her. “You know a lot of people. It’s likely.”  
“I’ve ruined you, Lexi.”  
He laughed. “You are a bad influence.”  
“Aww, but I’m your bad influence.”  
He rolled his eyes. “Woo hoo.”

(author's aid: he's calling her a hoe)

They emerged from the trees a few seconds after Nalim, approaching the band of people warily.  
“King-Killer?” At the sound of the title, several people turned to see.  
Nalim’s expression soured. “Ugh.”  
The speaker was an Awoken male, and judging from his worn-down armor, he was a Guardian. Hunter. His bright eyes followed Nalim in amazed respect, until he spotted the two behind her. “Europa?”  
Europa’s eyes snapped to him. “Alton?”  
“Euri!” He broke off from the idling group to hug her, drawing eyes. “You survived!”  
She returned the hug, holding him at arms’ length. “Never mind me, I didn’t think I’d see anyone I knew out here. Much less you.”  
He made a face. “You didn't think I’d live?”  
“Well…” She grinned.  
“Ouch.”  
Nalim stepped to their side, appraising him very visibly.  
“Alton is the one I bribed into messing with the fuses at Cali’s first birthday.”  
“Is that literally the only thing you can say about me?”  
Europa chuckled. “It’s the one she’s going to know.”  
“Great, first impressions off to a great start.”  
Nalim nodded quietly. “I remember you.”  
Europa backed up, and Alton seemed to tense under Nalim’s stare.

Alexi looked pointedly at her, the smile in his eyes.  
“What?” She realized. “Oh, shut up.”

“Alton, how old are you?”  
“Four years, ma’am.”  
She nodded. “Did Cayde train you?”  
“Mostly. Have you seen him?”  
“Hmm. No.” She shook her head. “How did you get here?”  
He tilted his head. “Here as in this part of the woods?”  
“I mean out of the City, and with these people. Do you know them?” She looked over his shoulder at the other people. Some looked to be Guardians, but mostly they were noticeably civilians. One watched her with the same amount of vigilance.  
“I lost contact with the group I was evacuating when we became..y’know. I blacked out, and when I came to, they were gone. I just followed the same evac route to find them, but I found these people instead. I figured I’d be more helpful here than hunting for a group I might never find.” He shrugged, looking back at them. “That was a few days ago. My ghost doesn’t know how long either of us were out.”  
She nodded again. “Good. Thank you, Alton.”  
He straightened under the praise. “Of course, ma’am.”  
“Stop calling me that.” She glanced at him. “And do NOT call me King-Killer.”  
“Uh. What-”  
“My name is Nalim.”  
Europa suddenly entered his view, and she smiled, leaning on her mentor. “We like to call her ‘Mom’.”  
“No thanks, I don’t wanna die.”  
Nalim barked a laugh. “I like you.”

The watchful civilian approached as Alton shied away. Nalim stepped forward, holding out her hand.  
“Hello, I’m-”  
“Yeah, Alton’s not quiet. King-Killer.”  
Nalim sighed.  
“You and your group all Guardians? All three of you?”  
She glanced at Alexi and Europa, who’d wandered off to chat. “Yes.”  
“Good. Then you’re armed I hope?”  
“Yes.”  
“Awesome. We need a bit of help with the protection part. Your City folk aren’t used to all the eyes on ‘em.”  
“‘My’?” Nalim tilted her head. The dots connected from the rifle and the poncho. “Ah, not a City dweller.”  
“I’m Suraya. Hawthorne. Certified non-City dweller.”  
“Nalim.” She held out her hand again. Suraya shook it this time.  
“Nice to meet you, Nalim. Good job on not dying.”  
“I’ve gotten good at that. Thanks.”  
Suraya snorted. “We’re launching for a haven soon. I suggest you stick with us.”


	9. 2 weeks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this one's dark. tw death

Callisto held her head under the running water, kneeling on the ground. She brought her hair out slowly, then quickly flicked it back. Water splattered on her cloak and neck.  
“Oooh, that is cold.” She shivered, shaking her hair with her hands. “That. Is cold.”  
“How do you feel?”  
“Awake.” She nodded. “I can walk for a little longer.”  
“You’ve got to sleep soon. We can’t keep shocking you awake.”  
She sighed. “And until I come across a place that won’t be our gravesite, I’ll sleep. Until then, we go on.”  
“You also have to eat. It’s been too long. I have that data of edible plants from Asha.”  
She continued combing her fingers through her hair, trying hard to separate the dark blue knots. “We make it back into the tree cover, I’ll sleep, and then we find food. Okay?”  
He flicked around nervously. “Alright. Promise?”  
She planted a kiss to the top of his shell, then pushed him into her hood. “I promise, now hide.”

They walked for about an hour into and through the trees before the cover broke again. She stood in between two trees on the edge of this next clearing, a wary eye towards the skies.  
“Do you hear anything?”  
Argo hummed. “No. You?”  
“Nothing. I think we’re far enough away from the City.” She lowered her gaze ahead. “Haven’t heard a Cabal ship in what, a few days?”  
“We still register as being on the City perimeter though.”  
She raised her eyebrows. “What? How?”  
“The outskirts of it, but we’ve basically been circling.”  
“For 2 weeks?”  
Argo gave the best impression of a shrug. “It’s not like we have a destination in mind.”  
She sighed. “Fair.”

He transmatted away, and she stepped out of the tree’s shadows. A small hill stood in front of her, and just barely past its horizon, a little red light.  
“Argo?”  
His voice echoed through her helmet. “It’s not Cabal. That’s a City-made post.”  
She excitedly started running up the hill, and her vision of the camp cleared.

Bodies were strewn about.

“Oh my god. No.”  
The camp itself looked mostly intact. A few sleeping bags were on the ground, a small radio station was set up under an awning, but 5 people, very obviously lightless Guardians, had faced their final death here.  
“It was a massacre. They had no chance.” Argo’s voice came very quietly. “Callisto...I don’t wanna stay here.”  
“I’m going to bury them.”  
“What? Cal, this just goes to show that we’re nowhere close to far enough away from the Cabal. We can't spend that much time here.”  
She shook her head, even though he wasn’t physically there to protest. “I’m not going to leave them here like this. Risk or not. I owe them that much.”  
His voice started up in obvious protest, but she cut him off.  
“You said it yourself that we have no destination. I’m not going to be late anywhere. Please, Argo. Help me find a shovel.”  
He sighed exasperatedly. “Alright.”


	10. 2 weeks, 1 day

She was passed out next to the fifth stone, curled around it.  
The evening was falling quickly, and the setting of the sun cast a warm golden light on the camp. It was beautiful, if he didn’t look directly at the bloodstains, but the landscape did not take precedence over his Guardian.  
He hovered warily over her, watching her chest rise up and down. Up, down. Up, down. That’s all he wanted.

The ground started to shake very very lightly. After a few seconds, it was picking up in speed.  
“Cal, come on. Wake up. Wake up now. Wake up!”  
Her hand twitched slightly, but she showed no progression of consciousness. The ground shook even more.  
“Come on Cal, PLEASE!” His voice rose in panic, the shadow of the ship entering his peripheral. “WAKE UP!”  
Her heart rate tick inside his shell started to pick up the pace, but not nearly fast enough. They would see her. And she’d be the sixth grave.  
“Come on, comeoncomeoncomeON.” In a final moment of conviction, he sped himself towards her face, slamming into her cheek hard. “CAL!”  
She startled awake, hand flying to her cheek. Her head turned wildly trying to understand her surroundings.  
“Back into the trees! Now! Get up!”  
She scrambled to her feet, hopping over the stone and crouching in the underbrush. “I passed out.” It was more of a confirmation.  
“Shh.”

The ship passed over them at its meandering speed, the now-defining smoke trail settling over the camp. She leaned on the tree next to her to watch it pass. When the rumble started to fade, she let go of the breath she was holding.  
“That was too close.”  
She knew he was right. “I could’ve played dead.”  
“Or they’d shoot you for good measure and you’d be dead anyway.”  
Also right.  
“We’ve…” She tried to drain the fear from herself. “We’ve got to go. Further. I’ll...see if I can’t find something from the camp I can use. Then we’ll go.”  
“Cal...take a minute. Just hang on.”  
“I took several minutes. It almost got me blown up.”  
Argo appeared in front of her, tilting his shell the way he always did when she got scared. “You’re okay. We lived. Just breathe for a second.”  
She put her hands over her face. “I’m sorry.”  
“No, it’s okay. Don’t cry. I’m okay. You’re okay.”  
“I just wanted to be good.” She kneeled down to the ground, trying hard not to cry too loud. “I don’t want to die.”


	11. 2 weeks, 4 days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i SWEAR this will get happier i Promise

Hawthorne’s haven was a small farm. It had a dock, a few old buildings, and an ever-present view of the EDZ’s corrupted forest. Far looming in the distance rose a shard of the Traveler, like the waking echoes of a bad dream. Long and jagged, it felt much more volatile than the Traveler itself. Europa’s nature led her to question. But the simply-nicknamed Farm was not empty, and only more and more refugees filled in. A good thing, of course, but not for difficult questions.  
She stood at the window, looking out into the dark night. Behind her, several Guardians, two of them hers, were asleep in piles against walls, corners, and each other. Most of them had barely passed a decade of Guardianhood. Not that the scale of time meant anything.  
“Can’t sleep?” Hawthorne appeared by her side. She looked out the window as well, up at the pale moon.  
“You’re very quiet.”  
“I know that.” She chuckled. “But thank you.”  
Nalim cast her eyes behind her. “I can sleep. Just don’t want to.”  
“Is it because of -- Am I allowed to mention it?”  
She laughed quietly. “Losing the Light?”  
Hawthorne nodded sheepishly, shrugging.  
“No, it’s not because of that. I’ve just gotten used to keeping watch. That’s all.”  
They both looked up at the sky in comfortable silence, until a Guardian moved in their sleep. Both of them turned.  
“Was it one of yours? Which ones ARE yours?”  
Europa and Alexi slept unmoving in the corner. Nalim shook her head, but pointed at them both. Then her eyes found the shifting body in the dark. She knelt down, gently touching the Guardian’s shoulder. For a moment the risk of activating their Light passed her mind, but quickly faded. There would be no hazardous knives here. Even if she wanted them.  
Nalim shook their arm quietly. “Guardian.”  
Her eyes adjusted to the thick darkness, finding his cloak in her hand. A long dark braid extended beside him. Alton. He murmured something in his sleep.  
“It’s just a dream. Shh.”  
After a moment, he cracked one eye open, a brilliant blue glow almost taking her by surprise. “Ma’am?”  
“Go back to sleep, Alton.”  
He nodded hazily, and the glow was gone.

When she stood, Hawthorne had a thoughtful smile on her face.   
“Guardian against nightmares, huh?”  
Nalim chuckled bitterly. “Sure. That’s what we’ll call it. Suraya, go to sleep.”  
Before she’d finished, Hawthorne made a face.   
“I’m not ordering you. But it’d help if both sentries weren’t dead by morning, hmm?”  
“When’re you sleeping then?’ She folded her arms over her poncho.  
“Tomorrow night.”  
“That’s too long.”  
“Then you’d best sleep more to make up for it.”  
In the moonlight, she could tell Hawthorne’s expression was frustrated, but undeniably she was tired. Too tired to argue with Nalim’s bullshit logic.  
“Fine. See you and your crew in the morning.” She yawned. “Try not to die until then.”  
“We’ll do our best.”  
Hawthorne left out the door, and her silhouette disappeared into the dark.

Once she was out of earshot, Nalim covered her two charges with her cloak, and climbed out the window.  
Asha materialized, staying close to her side. “Where’re we going?”  
“Just down to the dock. I need to be alone.”  
“Do you want me to leave?”  
Nalim rolled her eyes. “You don’t count.”  
“Good, I wouldn’t have left anyways.”  
“Oh, I know.”  
Asha laughed quietly.  
Nalim sat down on the edge of the dock, curling her knees to her chest. The night was sharp, but the water underneath her was clear and beautiful. Her eyes idly followed the dark horizon of the landscape ahead.

“What is it?”  
She sighed, burying her face in her hands.  
Asha remained quiet for a second. She resolved to settle on Nalim’s knees, leaning her shell on her forehead.   
“I can’t stop thinking about them. River and Cal. River told me to take everything one day at a time, but,” She glared at her legs when her throat tightened. “I can’t get the images out of my head. Cal falling. River’s incinerated apartment. Do you think…”  
“It’s alright, Lim.”  
“Do you think she knew it was coming? That I was right there and still too far away?” She crumpled up her body, drawing Asha closer. “Sorry.”  
“Hey hey, it’s okay. Lim. She knows you tried.”  
“But I didn’t.”  
Asha’s eye narrowed. “I’m sorry you got your neck snapped by a door. I don’t think River would hold that against you.”  
“But I-”  
“Nalim. Did you know a missile was coming?”  
She wiped her eyes. “No.”  
“Could you have done anything to stop the missile even if you did?”  
Nalim didn’t answer.  
“The answer is no. Lim, we didn’t even know we were being invaded. You can’t blame River’s death on yourself. All you can do for her now is do what she would’ve wanted.”  
“And what’s that?” Nalim’s tone dropped, borderline monotone. Sarcasm and cynicism fought for dominance.  
Asha rolled her eyes. “Help people, stupid. Really.”  
Nalim snorted at the insult. “You’re an ass.”  
“And you’re predictable.”  
“Oh, ouch.”  
“You asked me what a doctor would want you to do. I don’t know what you wanted me to say.”  
“Next time I take a minute to myself I’m leaving you with Euri.”  
“I’m asking the Traveler for a new Guardian.”  
“Should’ve just let Oryx take me out.”  
“With a gun, right?”  
“I hate you.”  
Asha snickered. “I love you too. I’m setting a timer for 10 minutes for you to mope. Then we’re going inside. It’s chilly.”


	12. 2 weeks, 5 days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> bro i thought id posted all the words i had from my google docs and turns out ive only posted 20/60 pages. y'all getting an UPDATE update now

She trudged her way through mud silently.  
“How’re you feeling?”  
She shrugged. “Not dead.”  
“Good start.” Argo sighed. “What’s on your mind, then?”  
She cast him a suspicious glance, with the barest hints of a smile. “You always know.”  
“Well, you’re MY Guardian. I wouldn't be a very good ghost if I couldn’t read you.”  
She shrugged again.  
“Is it Cayde?”  
She groaned. “How?!”  
“You have the spade clutched in your hand.”  
She looked down at her hand, where that piece of her cloak was bunched up in her fist. “I didn’t even realize.”  
“You were really deep in thought.” Argo gave the impression of a shrug. “So? Talk to me.”  
She hesitated, stepping over a tree root in the process. “Do you think he’s okay?”  
“He’s even harder to kill than you are. I’m sure he’s fine.”  
She smiled slightly. He *was* unnaturally lucky. “What about the others?”  
Argo hummed. “The last time I saw their locations, they were together. And on the ground.”  
She ran her thumb over the white stitching. After all this time, the cloak proved to be sturdy. “Is that good?”  
“It means they were closer to evac than we were. And in Zavala’s words, we’re stronger together. I have hope.”  
She smiled tiredly. “You never fail to cheer me up. Now if we could just find anybody else.”  
He nudged her cheek as she maneuvered through the trees. “I’m sure it’ll be soon. We just have to stay alive.”  
“I’ll sleep soon.”  
“I was going to add ‘eating’ to the to-do list this time, if you wouldn’t mind.”  
“You sound like Leo.”  
Argo’s voice lilted amusedly. “Because I sound like a waiter?”  
‘I was gonna say very polite but I see the manners have left you anyway.” She smirked at him.  
“I wasn’t wrong.” He suddenly flicked his shell forward. “The forest edge is up ahead. We can have a little picnic in the sun!”  
“That sounds nice. Can’t wait to eat leaves and twigs.”  
He laughed. “We have some berries too. And maybe after, you can take a nap, grumpy.”  
She playfully swatted at him, and they made their way to the edge of the trees.

“I’d give anything to know if they were okay.” She sighed, dropping abruptly into the warm grass. “Just to see anybody. Anything.”  
“We have to run across somebody soon.” His voice lilted hopefully. “Until then, we just have to survive. We can do that, right?”  
She laid down, covering her eyes from the sun. “Yeah. We can do that.”

\--

Nalim pet Europa’s hair quietly, watching the line of sunlight stretch across the floor. The head in her lap hadn’t moved for hours, and every time the paranoia won over, Nalim would check her pulse. But Europa hadn’t died yet.  
Asha floated around the room, scanning the sleeping Guardians.  
“What’re you doing?” Nalim whispered.  
“Checking their heart rates.”  
She quietly laughed.  
Asha returned to her, hovering over her boot. She pointedly looked at Europa.  
She shook her head.  
“Have you had any dreams lately?”  
“Regular or…”  
Asha shrugged. “Just any.”  
She nodded. “I’ve had nightmares. But they’re the normal kind. Thankfully. Ash...if I do…”  
“I know.”  
“That means it wasn’t of the Light.”  
“I know.”  
“If I stray too far…”  
“I’ll yank you back. You’re my Guardian.”  
They sat in silence for a minute. Both of them knew that wasn’t the answer she was looking for.  
“But...so far so good.” Nalim sighed, eyes drifting down to her sleeping charge.  
Asha settled on the tip of her boot. “Tell me about your nightmare.”  
“You sure?”  
“I’m keeping a log. And it’ll be a nice change of pace to hear something that doesn’t foreshadow catastrophes.” Asha smiled.  
Nalim rolled her eyes. “Fair enough. It was Cal.”  
“Oh.”  
“Yeah. Not prophetic.” She traced her finger over Europa’s nose, but the dark cloud had already appeared in her eyes. “I was floating over her, trying to get down, but I just kept getting further away. She was…” Nalim tilted her head back on the wall. Her expression visibly hardened.  
“Lim?”  
“She was dead on a grave. Just laying on top of one.”   
“Damn. That is dark.”  
“Yeah, I wonder where my mind got that idea.”  
Asha’s voice started up again, but the sunlight had passed over Europa’s eyes, and she started to wake.  
Nalim nodded quietly. “We’ll talk about this later.”  
“About...what?” Europa sat up, rubbing her face. “G’murnin.”  
“Nothing you need to be concerned about. Worry about your projects.” She set a gentle hand on Europa’s back before standing. “And good morning.”  
“My huh?”  
“Eat and find Alexi. Okay?”  
“Mkay.”  
Nalim smiled, unbeknownst to anyone but her, and ruffled Euri’s hair, quietly chuckling at all the ways it stood up.  
\--  
Alexi leaned on the fence, staring off into the view. In between his hands, he rolled the stem of a flower back and forth.  
Lady spoke from behind him, surprising him out of his thoughts. “How’re you feeling?”  
He offered his hand to her. She floated down into it gratefully.  
“I feel...okay. I don’t feel weak. I don’t feel strong.”  
Lady hummed. “Sometimes that’s all we can ask for.”  
He nodded quietly, and his eyes wandered again over the horizon’s hills.  
“Is the flower for Cali?”  
He nodded again.  
“Would it make you feel better to let it float away in the water?”  
“Why?” His tone was merely curious.  
“To…” She flicked her gaze past him, and resolved to speak to him again. “So you can have something to let go.”  
He looked at the flower again, face almost unreadable. “Oh.”  
“You don’t have to. It was just an option.”  
“Would she like that?”  
“I think she would’ve liked anything that helped you.”  
This time he smiled slightly, and Lady’s eye lit up brighter because of it. “You’re right.”  
“I’m getting better at doing that.”  
He chuckled, a deep rumble of a noise. “Good for you.”  
\--  
When she approached, he didn’t seem to acknowledge her presence. He kneeled on the wood of the docks, almost oblivious.  
“Lexi?” Europa tilted her head, kneeling next to him.  
He jumped. “Euri!”  
“Heh, sorry to scare you. You seemed focused. What’re you doing?”  
She saw the stem of the flower, and his submerged hand. But he didn’t seem to be moving.  
“I’m…” Just like Nalim, she could watch the cloud form in his eyes. “It’s for Cali.”  
“Oh. I see.” She raised an eyebrow. “You want to let it float into the water?”  
He nodded.  
“Then you kinda have to let it go.”  
He didn’t move.  
“Oh. I get it.” She sighed, putting her hand on his back. “That’s the hard part.”  
“I...don’t want to.” His big shoulders started to shake. “I don’t want to let it go.”  
“Hey hey, it’s okay. It’s okay. It’s not her, alright? It’s just for her.”  
“I don’t want to let her float away.” The tone of his voice scraped at her ears. He sounded so full of grief.  
She nodded, rubbing his back. “It’s not her, Lexi. It’s not. It’s okay.” She struggled to bite back her own emotions. “Hey, how about this. We both let this one go. Together. And then tomorrow morning, we get a different flower and do it again.”  
“Again?”  
“Yeah. So it’s less final.” She smiled slightly. “And she gets more flowers.”  
“Deal.”  
“Deal.” Europa rolled up her sleeve and stuck her hand in the water, wrapping it around the other side of Alexi’s. “3...2...1.”  
They let it go, and one single blue flower floated in the water, ever so slightly leaving the shadow of the docks.


	13. 2 weeks, 6 days

“They’re coming. They’re coming!”  
Callisto snapped to attention, smoothing her hair back with a dirty hand. She cocked her hand cannon and ducked into a cabinet.  
Argo’s voice whispered so, so quietly. “Close your eyes.”  
“Wh-?”  
“Close them!”  
Together, blind and desperate, they listened as the Fallen skirted past her ruins. Very few had passed through the actual room she was in, too occupied with leaving to notice the changes.  
Slow footsteps passed her cabinet with idle curiosity, and she felt the hammering of her chest. Her heart rate far outpaced the steps.  
They stopped in front of the door. She could tell without her eyes by the smell of ether and metal that they were there. Every bone in her body wanted to call out to Argo, but noise and movement would kill them both. So she shut her eyes and dared not breathe. If they opened it, she could shoot, but she was dehydrated. Exhausted. Hungry. Irritated. Scared. Maybe the adrenaline and training would guide her aim, but she didn’t want to test it. And if she hit her mark, the death would draw every other Fallen in the vicinity to her location, and lower her survival rate with every body.  
Her mind wandered to aiming the hand cannon. It was so difficult to keep track of things for so long, and she hadn’t sat for such a long time. Long-gone traces of Cayde's guidance ghosted around her arms. If she missed, he wouldn’t be very happy. He’d spent so much time getting her to be a good shot...  
The Fallen outside her cabinet left, disinterested.  
What she wouldn’t give for another lesson. Some inkling of normalcy and comfort. The option to ask him questions she knew the answer to and watch the light in his throat blink as he spoke. Just to hear him speak at all.  
“Cal?”  
She leaned her head on the wall, eyes still shut.  
Argo’s voice cut through her daydreams. “The Fallen have moved on. We need to get going.”  
“I miss Cayde.” She opened her eyes, and the glow of them in the small space reflected back at her and across his shell.  
“I know you do. We’ll find him. Are you okay?”  
“What if he’s dead?”  
“We have to survive long enough to find out, don’t we?”  
She struggled to keep her eyes open as the adrenaline left her. “What if he thinks I’M dead?”  
Argo sighed. “Then you have to survive long enough to tell him the truth.”  
She nodded. “Okay...alright...that makes sense.”  
“You can’t sleep here, it’s too risky. Come on, Cal.” His voice dipped from commanding to pleading and back again. “Put this on your face.” A flask of water transmitted into her lap.  
She watched herself pour water into her hand like a spectator until the shock of cold brought her back. Her eyes shot open, and she nodded resolutely.  
“I can keep going.”  
Argo sighed. “I know you can. Just a little further. Come on.”


	14. 3 weeks

“Another midnight stroll?”  
Nalim began idly walking around the perimeter of the Farm. “It can’t be surprising at this point.”  
“That my Guardian refuses vehemently to follow her circadian rhythm? No, it’s not. Trust me.”  
“See? If you know, then don’t ask.”  
Asha’s eye rolled. “Is there a reason for this one?”  
“This walk? Because it’s nice outside.”  
“And because you’re playing sentry. And probably to mope again.”  
Nalim groaned. “If the Traveler wasn’t occupied right now I would love to ask for a refund.”  
“Out of the both of us, who do you think is surviving that exchange?”  
“Does it matter? Either way it gets quieter.”  
“Nalim!” Asha bumped the side of her head in scolding. “Not the time!”  
Nalim crossed a fallen log, chuckling to herself. She descended further into the Farm’s perimeter, pausing to look up at the tree cover.  
A branch snapped.  
In the blink of an eye, she was down on the ground, hood and helmet up, and holding her pistol. She mentally cursed leaving the rifle with Europa. Asha dipped to the ground between her and a log before transmatting away entirely.  
Daring not to move, she listened for more movement. And it came. Leaves rustled, sticks broke, all manner of forest noises erupted from her approachers. She felt her veins go cold. For that amount of noise, she guessed Cabal had found them. How many were there? What were they? How many could she kill before they returned the favor? Where were Alexi and Europa right now? If she spoke a warning, would that kill them all? She tightened her jaw. With or without the Light, she’d be a Guardian. Time to guard.  
She stood quickly, pointing her gun at the approaching-  
“Nalim?”  
A bright and massive figure stood at the front of a collection of refugees. White, orange, and fur. He had his hand in line with the barrel of her gun.   
“Shaxx.” She lowered her gun, breathing out a sigh of relief. “It’s you.”  
“You lived.”  
She nodded, holstering the pistol. “So did you. And you've brought people.” The helmet disappeared from her face. “Congratulations on making it to the Farm, everybody.”  
The civilians behind him looked at her in mostly thankful recognition, but they didn’t move out from his shadow until he stepped aside. He ushered them through, and only then did she realize he had a child shaped backpack on his shoulders. A white-haired, dark-skinned child backpack. His head swiveled to see the people passing him, and centered on her with knowing speed.  
Nalim gasped. “Adrian?”  
Adrian dropped off Shaxx, warranting a failed attempt to catch him. Shaxx turned to watch the child hit the ground running and meet her with open arms. He made a show to her of being relieved.  
Nalim bent down. “Adrian, oh my god. Where’s your sister? Are you okay? Are you hungry? Are you hurt?”  
He buried his face into her shoulder. “I missed you a lot.”  
“Oh, I missed you a lot too.” She wrapped both her arms around him, knees in the underbrush. Asha materialized and scanned him, like an extension of her own mind. When she was done, Asha gave a nod. “Ash says you’re okay. Do you feel okay?”  
“I’m okay. He took care of us.”  
Nalim glanced up at Shaxx, whose attention turned back to ushering his group forward.  
“Is Theodora with you?”  
Adrian turned long enough to point out his sister from the crowd. A matching set of wild white hair, Nalim opened her arm, and Theo ran forward to meet her. The twins latched onto each side of her like cement.  
“I missed you two so much. So much. I’m glad you’re okay. Theo, are you okay?”  
Theo yawned into a nod. “Is Aunt River with you?”  
Nalim thanked whoever was listening that they were not looking at her eyes now. “No, kiddo. She’s somewhere else right now. I’m sorry.”  
“It’s okay.” Adrian sighed, loosening his grip to stay by her side. “A lot of people got split up.”  
Theo mimicked her brother, and now looked up at Nalim. “Are your Guardian friends here?  
“Euri and Lexi are.” She feigned a smile.  
Adrian tilted his head, ever curious. “Where’s Cali?”  
Now, when she looked up, Shaxx looked back. He seemed to be waiting for her answer as well.  
“Cali is...somewhere else too.” It was easier to say it to him than to their faces. Shaxx’s shoulders slumped ever so slightly.   
Theo nodded. “Maybe she’s with Aunt River.”  
“Maybe she is.” Nalim stood, guiding them upward. “Let’s go follow the others. Try to get some sleep.”  
They broke off from her to walk with the rest of their group. Nalim trailed behind, her and Shaxx walking in silence.  
\--  
She sat on a table across the room,watching him work. He entered the rickety building with obvious intent, and now stood across from her setting up various devices. But until now, neither had spoken for at least half an hour. They simply knew the other was there. His presence was familiar, but his demeanor was different. Somber. She had no doubt as to why.  
“Shaxx.”  
He looked at her over his shoulder, briefly stopping whatever experiment he had in his hands.  
“How long has it been since you’ve slept?”  
Asha turned to look at her with a Ghost’s version of pure disbelief.  
He chuckled quietly. “You’re still up as well.”  
“Evading the question gives me the answer.”  
He shrugged. “I will live.”  
She smiled slightly, and the atmosphere returned to silence. Suddenly, the screens he had facing him flickered blue, and he put his hands on his hips triumphantly. Old data flashed in white across them.   
“Nalim.”  
It was her turn to look over at him.  
“About your…” He sighed. “Student and your neighbor. I am truly sorry.”  
How did he know River was her neighbor? How did he know River at all? She tilted her head, but he wasn’t looking. Asking verbally wasn’t something she wanted to pursue.  
“It wasn’t you. No need to apologize.” She scoffed. “Unless you’re undercover.”  
“No chance of hiding from you if I was.”  
She raised an eyebrow at the subtle praise.   
“Your student, Callisto.” He turned to face her fully now, folding his arms across his chest. “Tell me about her.”  
She must’ve reacted poorly, because he immediately rescinded the offer. “If it’s too soon, I understand, I just-”  
“Why.”  
He stopped. “I thought sharing her memory would lessen the pain.”  
Both of them stood in tense silence. She turned her face away, pulling up her hood, but he wasn’t wrong. And he spoke from shared experience. She just didn’t want to speak at all.  
Shaxx sighed, leaning on the wall behind him. “I met her only a few times. But I remember your dedication to them. Admirable as always.”  
She focused her gaze on the dead grass beneath him.  
“I saw her again during the attack. How old was she?”  
“2.”  
“Right. Your oldest. I was ushering a group when she came whipping around the corner. Like fire was on her heels.” He chuckled, traces of his former enthusiasm lining his words. “She reminded me of you then too. So little hesitation. She was well-trained.”  
Nalim now doubted she understood the purpose of his recounting. The tense silence thickened.  
“Are there more Guardians here?” He pushed himself off the wall, momentarily giving up on his benevolent endeavor.  
Somewhere in her chest, she felt a tightening. He was trying to help. But hearing the toll of everything on his voice only sunk her hopes further. And she was not exactly raising his. So he returned to work, and so did she.  
“Yes. A good portion of them are young, though.”  
“What’s your measurement for youth?” A tease.  
“I don’t know, what’s yours, Warlord?”  
He chuckled without the bitter undertone. “Fair point, Lady Nalim.”  
She groaned. “Never do that again.”  
“What, use your title, Lady Nalim?”  
“You’re on thin ice.”  
He laughed heartily. She smothered a smile.  
“Most of them have been risen for a decade or under. Some are outliers.”  
“So they know you.”  
“Most people do.”  
He nodded. “That’s good. They’ll listen to you then.”  
“Mm. Is that what that means.” She deadpanned. “Why do you ask?”  
Shaxx’s attention was on his screens, but his posture had straightened, shoulders broadened. “If we’re going to take back the City, we need to train. We need to be Guardians, light or not. I think if we want the best shot at succeeding, I need your help.”  
“You want ME to help YOU run the CRUCIBLE?”  
“I want your help in training our Guardians to live through a fight. And you’re a champion. I could hardly ask for more experienced help. I can run the matches, you can train them outside of the matches.”  
“Shaxx, do you seriously think we can take back the City without the Light?”  
He looked at her briefly over his shoulder. “What other options do we have, Nalim?”  
No feasible or hopeful answer came to mind. No answer she wanted to tell him, certainly. He had the persisting habit of forcing ambition onto those around him.  
“Fine. I’ll help you. Just tell me what you need.”

...

“Argo?” Her voice came out scratchy after hours of silence, and the mask muffled her words, but he only thought of how lucky he was to have that voice. “What do you miss most?”  
The landscape opened up underneath them, falling below the hill and racing off into the horizon. The forests broke here, if only for a moment.  
“From the City?”  
“From anything we’ve lost.”  
He hummed. “Easy. Safety.”  
His response earned a pained laugh. “City wasn’t that safe apparently.”  
“Hey, it could’ve fallen faster.”  
“Yeah, maybe if we were trying to break a record.” She sighed into a bitter chuckle. “I don’t think I’m gonna feel safe anywhere ever again.”  
“Callisto…”  
She shrugged off his worry. “It’s not a whine. I’m just saying it.”  
“I know, but.” He struggled for the proper words to mend her hope. “This….isn’t everything. Someday this will just be a bitter memory facing the toll of time.”  
“Unless I die.”  
Argo nudged her shoulder in the best imitation of comfort he could give. “That’s not going to happen. We’ll just be careful.”  
The continuation of the forest approached ever closer, and for some reason he dreaded going back into those trees. Weren’t there ever going to be enough trees? How many had they seen over the course of a few weeks? How many more?  
“If I die…”  
“Don’t start this, Cal.” He tried his best not to sound so desperately pleading, but it slipped into his words anyway. “Talk about anything else.”  
They walked for a few minutes in silence, entering the less-than-comforting domain of the trees. Until he watched her resolve tighten, and she spoke again.  
“I miss cake. And company. And peppermint sticks.” Her hand reached out for the sewn-in spade, thumbing over the thread. “I miss...hmm. I miss trying to tilt my chair further back than Euri’s. I miss my apartment. I miss the clothes Alexi bought me that are all his size.” This time, her weary golden eyes turned to glance at him. She didn’t speak, but the invitation was offered.  
“I miss...scarves. Pillows. That weird little cat hammock that Euri hung up in front of the window.” Argo’s shell twisted around while he formed his own reminiscent list. “I miss listening to the Tower’s radio. Or just the noises of everyday moving about. I miss the Tower’s view. Something about being all the way up there…”  
Both of them in tandem remembered the storm that lured them up into the Tower in the first place.  
“I miss the Tower view a little less now that I think about it.”  
Callisto’s laugh was strained and barely audible, but he watched her eyes crinkle, and that was all he needed.  
“Argo. How are you so hopeful?” Genuine curiosity, he recognized. Share it, She said. And of course he would.  
“I wished for years and years and years to find you. And then I did. I just happened to back up over your soul. And then you started bleeding. And I happened to find the one Guardian for miles. And she knew what to do for you. And from that, you got a mentor for two years. Two of them, actually. People you could celebrate your birthdays with.” If he could really smile, he would. “With everything I list, the likelihood of you existing falls. But here you are anyways. If I can roll the cosmic dice and get you, I’m willing to believe in more miracles.”  
She pulled his shell to her chest before he even saw her hand move. “I don’t know if the Traveler built you to love me, but I love you.”  
“I love you too. If it did, then so be it. I’ll do my job. Whatever’s ahead of us, we’re in this together.”  
She stopped walking. “Good. Because what’s in front of us is a lot of broken sticks.”  
“What?”  
“Like a LOT of broken sticks.”  
He spun to see where she was looking, and she was right. The trail of the forest in front of them looked like there had been a bulldozer. She walked forward quietly, eyes flickering wildly around her surroundings. Ideas of what could've done this flashed through her head frame by frame.  
He left her hands to scan something in the mud. “Come look at this.”  
“What is it?”  
“Just look.”  
He shined a light on a footprint. She put her foot next to it. Around the same size. No extra toes. No missing ones.  
“That’s...human.” She laughed quietly. “That’s human.” For the first time in a while, the glitter of hope shined in her eyes. “Look at how long this goes.”  
“Where do you think they went?”  
She strided forward. “Oh, I am about to find out.”

They started forward, adding her footprints to the muddy collection.


	15. 3 weeks, 2 days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> mom look ive invented   
> bombs

A guardian came bounding up to her, breath heaving. She was being summoned. “Continue your repetitions.” she said, before moving off the field.

Nalim entered the room, spotting her summoner within seconds. The room smelled like smoke and metal, burnt rubber and maybe some leaves. The massive shadow in the corner occupied himself in prying open a window. Pieces of anything lay scattered on the surrounding tables, the center desk holding the epicenter of the mess. Paper and 4 pencils of varying sizes.  
“Euri?”  
She turned quickly, the hair in her eyes with no styling to hold it back. “Nalim! You came!”  
“Should I not have?”  
Europa dashed around the room in intervals, feeling pieces with her hands and deciding if she wanted them or not. Her visual attention stayed on Nalim. If the Light wasn’t gone, she was sure to have sparks around her.  
“No, no, I needed you to come here. I want your approval to make something.”  
Nalim raised an eyebrow. “Is it going to help?”  
“Yes, of course.” Europa’s gaze was proud, fiery.  
“And do you have the resources?”  
“Maybe not for every single person, but to make a difference? I think so.”  
“Then you have my permission. You don’t need to ask. Just make it.”  
Europa’s eyes widened. “Wait wait. You didn’t ask me what it even was.”  
“You never told me either.”  
Alexi’s hand gently pulled Europa back into a chair. She obliged without looking, and he began tying a band around her head. No words needed.  
“Well, can you stay long enough for me to explain?”  
Nalim looked out at the practicing mix of refugees. They seemed to be doing well enough without her looming presence. She gave an assuring nod. “Go.”  
“Alright, SO.” She snatched two bowls of demolished substances off the table, causing Alexi’s hold on her head to move. He sighed. “If I mix these together, it’s flammable, right?”  
She did not recognize either item. “Sure.”  
“Well they’re also sticky. Like, sticky. So if I can get this to work, you have a gun,” Again, an unusual and unknown object appeared in her hands. This one was at least metal, that much she could tell, and it had a trigger. “And it can shoot little sacks of this stuff.”  
“So it’s like fuel, but thick?”  
“YES! Except for I’m not sure it could work as fuel.” She smiled, and the hair in her eyes was gone, pinned behind Alexi’s handiwork. “We put this on windows, on tanks, on helmets or soldiers, they’re blind. And prone to being on fire.”  
Europa’s boundless ambition pulled at her heartstrings. Asha would say she was prone to moping, but she couldn’t in here. Europa just wouldn’t let her. “Why did you want to tell me?”  
“Well…” The confidence dissolved from her eyes. “Other than bragging, I did want your approval. Not as in permission. I just wanted to know if you liked it. But also, are you going on any supply runs soon?”  
“You’re NOT coming with me.” Nalim’s gaze hardened.  
“No, no,” She looked away. Decision not approved of. “I was just gonna ask you for as much fabric as you could find. For the sacks.”  
“Fabric. Alright. I’ll get as much as I can, for you. Anything else you want me to look for?”  
“Light.”

All three paused quietly.

Nalim broke the silence. “Maybe I can bring back a lantern.”  
She sighed. “That works too.”


	16. 3 weeks, 4 days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> anyone:  
> nalim: i am going to be an asshole now

The moon shined through the cracks on the barn’s walls, glinting slightly over his gauntlet.  
“Nalim.” Shaxx turned to glance over his shoulder.  
She sat, body curved around her datapad. Neither foot touched the floor. A pretzel of limbs and white hair in the candlelight. “What?”  
He tried to figure out how that was comfortable. She was a hunter, but…  
“Shaxx. What.”  
“Sorry.” He cleared his throat. “Did you need today’s match data?”  
“Soon, yeah. I’m filtering through yesterday’s right now.”  
“You’re fast.”  
She smiled barely. “Ash is doing most of it. I’m just her lackey. I do the human stuff.” Asha scanned the paper in her hand and a copy of it appeared on Nalim’s datapad.  
Shaxx chuckled. “I know you are fast. Only makes sense that she would be too.”  
“Stop bringing up my combat record, Shaxx.”  
“Empty threat.”  
She shot him a threatening glance, but the amusement was hard to hide. “Watch it.”  
“Whatever you do will just prove my point.” He laughed again. “Go ahead. I’d be honored to fight you.”  
“Ugh.” She waved him off. “I’ve got slow reading to do. Find some other old person to analyze your reports.”  
“I prefer my current old person, Lady Nalim.”  
“You are intolerable.” She got up, picking up her stuff with her. “I’m doing my work in the house.”  
Shaxx suddenly turned, watching her go toward the door. The joking in his tone dissolved away. “Wait. Nalim. Are you upset?”  
She raised an eyebrow, skepticism coloring her smile. “Are you worried about that?” She rolled her eyes. “No. I’m not. I’m not necessarily happy, mind you. But your insults could be worse.”  
“Are you actually going to the house?”  
Now confusion laced her expression. “Are you afraid I’m going to die there? Do you know something I don’t?”  
“You know everything I do.” He turned his head away. The space between them seemed to stretch and tense .“I am afraid everyone alive may die.”  
“Then I have some bad news for you, Shaxx.” Her eyes hardened. “Sooner or later it happens. Our job is to slow it down. I can do that from inside the house where you do not call me names.”

She turned to leave, but her figure in his peripheral froze. He turned to look at her, then followed her gaze into the rafters.  
She genuinely smiled. “An owl.”  
What? He searched for it in the shadows, only for a moment locking onto its unmoving stare. Of course she saw it so easily.  
“Do you like owls?”  
“Shh. You’re so loud.”  
He mimed zipping his mouth shut.   
Her eyes flicked to him for only a second, corners of her mouth turning sharp. “Didn’t know you could do that. Only took what, centuries?”  
The helmet blocked any facial expressions, but the offended posture made her chuckle. “Can you see it?”  
He unzipped his mouth. “The owl?”  
“No, me, dummy. The one you’re making direct eye contact with. Yes, the owl.”  
He shook his head.  
She hooked one finger around his arm plate, guiding him forward, away from his corner and toward her. Her other arm guided his vision to the owl’s silhouette again.  
“I can’t see it.”  
She sighed in exasperation. “Get your vision checked, Shaxx.” The hand on his arm went to his chin, tilting his head toward the owl. “Now?”  
He looked at her in his peripheral. “I see it now.”  
“Finally. Old man.” She dropped her arms, taking her work out from under her arm. “Now. We’ve got work to do. Hurry up and go to bed.”  
“Why do I have to go to bed, but you won’t?”  
“I’m not your mother, I’m not going to make you.” She held up a paper from the collection. “But tomorrow’s match starts at 6 am. And I am not the Crucible handler.”  
“As it should be.”  
She raised a skeptical eyebrow.“It’s 2 am now.”  
Shaxx’s shoulders sagged. “Ah. I see.”  
“So.”  
“I’ll go.” He sighed, clicking off his screens. “Goodnight, Nalim.”  
“Goodnight, Shaxx.”  
He turned toward the door, and stalked off toward the house in the night. The moonlight did not make him easy to miss.

“Asha. Change tomorrow’s match to 9 am. Send it out to everybody but Shaxx when you’re done.”  
Asha chuckled. “Done. Want me to bribe Shaxx’s ghost not to wake him up until then?”  
“Can you do that? With what?”  
“Hmm.” Nalim’s data pad flashed several pages worth of reports. “I could withhold data.”  
“Not really a bribe, then, is it? More of a threat.”  
Asha rolled her eye. “And does that bother you?”  
“Not at all. Get it done.”

“He’s accepted the uh. Bribe. It was a lot of data.”  
Nalim evilly chuckled. “Good.”  
“You’re such an idiot.”  
“Ash. The threat was your idea.”  
“True, but you approved it. Because you’re like an egg. Tough exterior, disgusting on the inside.”  
“Thank you. How kind.” Nalim rolled her eyes. “Now can we finish?”  
\--  
Europa jumped in her seat when the door closed. Alexi was asleep face down on the table, not awakened by the noise. How long had she been here? The metal in her hands shared no such knowledge.  
“Europa.” Shaxx entered her peripheral. He looked different, but that observation was clouded by the fact it was Lord Shaxx talking.  
“Uh, sir?” She wiped her face with her sleeve. “Is everything okay?” Suddenly her eyes shot open. “Is Nalim alright?” His posture faltered like something had happened, and they always sat together to do their work. Her mind had already started running with terrible considerations.  
“Yes, she’s fine. Don’t worry.” He gave a low chuckle. “She’s just being a...night owl. I have some questions for you.”  
She sighed in relief and straightened in her chair. “Uh, of course. Sure. What’d ya need?” Nalim’s scoldings echoed in her mind. “Sir.”  
“Calm down. It’s 2 am.” He sat abruptly in the chair behind him. “I’ll forgive some missing niceties.”  
The aura Shaxx gave off was like Nalim’s, before Europa truly knew her. Nalim was harsher, but she didn’t think getting to know Shaxx would mitigate his authority. Pay attention, Europa. Stop speculating.  
“Would you mind if I asked you some hard questions?” His tone was low.  
“That happens to be my area of expertise.” She grinned slightly, setting her project down. “Shoot. Questions, not a gun, please.”  
He laughed. “Nalim was not lying when she described you.”  
She flipped her hair theatrically, holding back the urge to ask. “So. What are your questions?”  
Shaxx’s helmet obscured his expression, but the man was expressive enough with his body language alone. She knew his question before he spoke.  
“Yes, I am curious what she said. However I know it includes the words ‘thorn in my side’ so I’ve learned to leave some things up to interpretation.”  
He cackled.  
“Was I wrong?”  
“Well...there were other, nicer words as well.”  
Now she laughed. “I’m sure there was. Now, what was your question? Mine are all used up.”  
His amused posture shifted quickly into the withdrawn one he came in with. Almost guilty looking, he looked down as he spoke.  
“Did you know Nalim’s neighbor? Well, I mean?”  
Europa nodded. Why was this old and powerful legend of a Guardian asking her about River? Why not ask Nalim? Why ask at all? “River. Yes, I did. Basically was her neighbor as well for how much time I spent in Nalim’s apartment…..Why?”  
“Could you...describe her to me? I understand she was a casualty of the assault.”  
“She was.” Europa looked down at her hands. She’d started picking at her nails already, so she reached out for Alexi’s hand, tapping along his knuckles instead. He was asleep, but she wanted to think he’d be proud. “River was...lightless, of course, but as close to a force of nature as you could be without Light. The only person other than Zavala I have ever seen give Nalim orders. Wait, no. Forgot about Cayde. The only person other than Zavala that Nalim has obeyed orders from.” Europa laughed.  
“She seems like a lovely woman.”  
“She was. She was a City doctor. Always took care of Cal whenever her tongue got finicky. Managed to get Nalim to sleep occasionally. She was so determined. So caring. So….full of life.” Saying that out loud made her throat tighten. She looked away from Shaxx. “Sorry. I’ve been a little busy not thinking about my dead loved ones.”  
“I’m sorry, Europa.”  
“No, I-” She bit down to keep her composure. “Thank you. For asking. I don’t know why you did, but River deserved more. Better. Reminds me of why I’m up at 2am building grenade launchers. One more reason to fight back.”  
“And Callisto, I assume.”  
She tightened her grip on Alexi’s hand, unbeknownst to him. “She’s my reason number one.”  
Shaxx stood from the chair, putting a weirdly fatherly hand on her shoulder. “For the sake of the living and the dead, we will fight for vengeance. I promise you.”  
She nodded. “That’s a very Titan thing of you to say.”  
He laughed sharply. “Yes, yes it is.”  
As he began to walk off into the rest of the house she called out to him. “Shaxx?”  
He glanced over his shoulder.  
“Do I get to ask you questions later?”  
“About what?”  
“Things you know that I don’t.” She shrugged, playfully grinning. “That’s usually how questions go.”  
He laughed quietly. “Later. You both need to get sleep now.”  
“Me and…?”  
He gestured to Alexi’s curled figure. “You and him. Nalim is, in your words, a force of nature. She will sleep when she decides.”  
Europa nodded, yawning. “Fair enough.”

She watched him leave, stepping slowly down the shadowy hallway. Something about what he’d said didn’t seem normal to her. But it was late. And she was infinitely more afraid of Shaxx than Nalim was.  
She gently shook Alexi’s hand until his eyes flickered on. “Hey, Lexi? C’mon. Let’s go.”  
He groaned quietly.  
“Sleepy time somewhere else. C’mon.”   
“Why.” His voice when he was sleepy always sounded vaguely threatening. To other people, she guessed.  
“Because if you sleep in a chair you are gonna complain in the morning.”  
“Mm.”  
“Up. Up. Let’s gooooo.” She started pulling at Alexi’s arm, but it was really only a fight till his stubbornness wore off. She wouldn’t budge him if he didn’t want to. “Nalim is gonna yell at us if we aren’t ready for training tomorrow.”  
As he shuffled out of his chair, something clicked for her. “Lexi, say Nalim.”  
“Why?”  
Her smile told him something unsafe. He sighed. “Nalim.”  
“One more time.”  
“Nalim.”  
She giggled. “Okay. Got it. Thanks, dude.”  
“Should I be worried?”  
She shrugged, leading the way out of the work room. “No matter what I say, you’re going to.”  
“Correct.” He sighed again, slouching. “Do I get to know why?”  
“Not yet. If I’m right, then I’ll tell you.” She abruptly turned, holding out her pinky. “But if and when I do, you’re sworn to secrecy.”  
Alexi gently wrapped his pinky around hers, focusing hard on not pinching her. How long was he asleep? His eyes were dimmed.  
“Perfect.” She grinned. “NOW we can sleep.”


	17. 3 weeks, 5 days

This time the metal in her hands looked a little shinier, a little more familiar. She smiled fondly at her reflection in the silver. Alexi was outside the house, helping with various tasks for Guardians whose intentions he hadn't caught yet. She snickered when he passed by the window and rolled his eyes at her. Why could they possibly want him to chop more wood? She laughed with her prototype when he wasn’t looking.  
The door suddenly slammed, and she jumped in place. “God, who was- Shaxx? Lord Shaxx, sorry.”  
He nodded at her in greeting. “I’m sorry. The door was lighter than I anticipated.”  
She was truly surrounded by titans.  
“Is it too early to start asking you questions?” He tilted his head, sitting down in the same chair he had last night.  
“No, I’ll be doing the same thing either way.” She shrugged. “Did you finish early?”  
His posture turned irritated. “Yes.”  
“Is it about the match time?”  
“Yes.” He made a noise between grumbling and groaning. “Your...mentor’s decision threw off my timing. Now I have to wait. I HATE waiting.”  
In the most respectful voice she could muster, she spoke. “I think that was her intention, sir.”  
He folded his arms. “I’m sure it was.”  
“And she’s harder to argue with when she’s not here.” Europa shrugged. “Smart move, very Nalim of her.”  
The irritated look in his posture loosened as he cackled. “Yes, it is very Nalim of her.” His tone was fond, if not a little sarcastic. “Ever the strategist. I will tell her what I think of her transgression when she returns.”  
She sat criss-crossed on the table, cleaning out the barrel of her prototype. Greasy. “So. Questions? What’s for today?”  
Shaxx leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees. “Tell me about Callisto.”

She set down the prototype.

“Cali. Hmm. She was...the oldest. I was 2 months when she turned 1...so...she was risen 10 months before me.” Alton getting threatened with the Ace of Spades briefly flashed through her mind. Europa laughed quietly. “I pulled a prank on her first birthday. Turned off the power of the club we were in.”  
His tone sounded like he was smiling. “I am not surprised.”  
“Yeah yeah, Nalim told you I was a brat. Well, I live up to the title.” She grinned. “Cali was the second person I met ever. Nalim being the first. She drove me all the way to the City on her shiny new sparrow and barely knew how to drive it. She tried to explain the Light to me by sending Arc energy through my hand.” She laughed. “She did that a lot of other times, but for less benevolent reasons.”  
“She was a hunter, right? Arcstrider?”  
“Bingo.”  
“I think I remember you two in a Crucible match.”  
Europa dragged her hands across her face. “Noooooo.”  
“What? Did you not have fun? Did you not learn anything?”  
“Lord Shaxx, if you bring that match up around Nalim or Alexi, I will be reminded of it until the end of my days.”  
“So it is an effective punishment.” He laughed a little evilly. “Noted.”  
“Aaaaaanyways.” She tried hard not to roll her eyes. Some internal parental voice chided her that was disrespectful. Fine. “Cali was kind, brave, stubborn as-” She stopped herself. “She was stubborn. That’s my point. When we went on our first strike, she got her prosthetic shot off by a sniper. Couldn’t put it back on by herself. Too much blood. Instead of going back to the ship or telling anybody, she instructed her Ghost to shut his mouth and kept going on her merry way.”  
“Reminds me of someone.” Irritated again.  
“She ended up killing our objective right when she was needed, and then collapsed in the hallway. Alexi carried her back as I tried to pilot the ship home. Then Argo revived her and she did that for me too. Hellion.”  
“Was Argo her Ghost?”  
“Oh, yeah. Very cautious little dude.”  
Shaxx laughed lightly.  
“God, I remember Cayde losing his mind over the comms that day. She really liked him.”  
“Cayde?”  
“Yeah. Head over heels. It was so fun to mess with her about it. But they were cute.” Her easy expression had turned sour. “I miss her. I wonder if Cayde knows. Or if he's even alive either."  
“I’m sorry.”  
“It’s not like you did it. Unless you’re the one that threw my sister off the Cabal command ship and launched her into the City.”  
“Is that-?”  
“Yeah. That’s how it happened. Right after they took our Light.” She slammed her fist on the table. He nodded in understanding. “I remember watching her fall. Thinking about how just hours before I was asking to borrow one of her coats for the rain. I really felt something break inside me. But I guess you know that feeling, don’t you?”  
Shaxx seemed so unknown to her at that moment. All the things that he had seen that she had not. She found herself wanting to be near Nalim. To know what they knew. “I do know that feeling, but it is as you said. It is a reason to fight. To be better. We can never stop. You may not have the gift of Light right now, but you are alive. That is enough. You must use your talents to fight, as you prove in this room. Your intelligence will save lives, Europa.”  
She wiped at her eyes, slightly embarrassed. “Thanks, Shaxx. Lord Shaxx. Sorry again. I appreciate your faith. I’ll do my best.”  
“I know you will.”  
“I’m starting to really see why Nalim hangs around you so much. You two are...similiar, to say the least.” Hook, line, and-  
“She does? We are?”  
Sinker.  
She smiled, the best Good Guardian smile she could put on. “I don’t lie.”  
“...Right.” Maybe he could sense her thoughts. He backed up into his chair. “Do you have any questions?” Maybe not.  
“Later, when I write them all down.” She jumped off the table, picking up her tools again. “If that’s okay, sir? I assume you’ll be back to ask about my dead loved ones again at some point in the next few days.”  
He stood suddenly, a little embarrassed. “Hm, yes. That’s fine. Thank you for your honesty, Europa.” He left, closing the door behind him with noticeable restraint.

Almost an hour passed before she spoke out loud again.  
“Hey, Leo?”  
He appeared in her hand. “Yes?”  
“What was the last thing you transmatted?”  
His eye wandered as he looked at his data. “Hmm. Doesn’t say what. But a collection of things. Callisto’s apartment. 3 weeks and 5 days ago.”  
“Wow, it’s already been about a month.” She sighed. “It’s ONLY been about a month. Anyways. If you tried to undo it, what are the chances it would work?”  
“Undo the transmat?”  
“Yeah, like a back button. A refund. Do-over, I don’t KNOW.” She threw up her hands. “It’s worth a shot.”  
“It would most likely transmat back to where we sent it from, not to us. And the Red Legion most likely has all incoming signals scrambled. Europa, I don’t want you to get your hopes up.”  
“But can you try?”  
Leo sighed. “Yes. Of course I’ll try.”  
She cleared away the section of table she was working on, and he hovered over her shoulder, blue light emanating from his eye.  
Nothing came of it.  
Leo nudged her cheek comfortingly. “Hey, we can try again later. As many times as you want.”  
Europa put her head in her hands, slouching over. “‘We only need it to work once.’”  
“That’s right. Now let’s focus on something else.”


	18. 4 weeks

“Adrian?”  
He stood on the precipice of the forest. Unwavering. Horizontal.  
She pushed her cheek off the wet grass, muscles aching like she’d just finished a race. Sweet exhaustive fatigue licked at her joints.  
“There’s someone there.” Adrian’s voice echoed from somewhere that was not his body. “Something.”  
Pulling her knees underneath her hurt, but it was done. Morning dew covered her sleeves, and she wiped at it curiously. Around them, a thick dark fog. “Adrian? What’s wrong?”  
“I told you.” His small voice held surprising contempt. “There's someone there. But you can’t see them, can you?” The condescension was thick in his words.  
She cast her gaze from the back of his head to the forest beyond. Other than the first line of trees, nothing was visible. Silhouettes of tree trunks wavered in the background of them, but watching a definite shape was impossible. “No, I can’t. What are you seeing?”  
Adrian started walking into the forest.  
“Hey. Hey, wait.” She stood, a sudden burst of energy from his departure. “What do you see?”  
The shadows of the forest ate away at him quickly, and he was no longer visible. Then slowly, the furthest trees started to take definite form. And with that form, color. Or lack of it. The roots of the trees started to turn white, and the air stilled around her. 

A smothering feeling of familiarity washed over her, and the forest began to smell of ozone.

“It’s...Taken. It’s the Taken. Adrian!” She started running towards the line of trees, but nothing brought her closer to them. “ADRIAN?!”  
With increasing speed, the roots of the trees near her turned a terrible glowing white.  
“NO!” Instinctively, she tried to summon Light, but this realm did not love her enough to pretend. “ADRIAN! ASHA?”  
Suddenly, an owl, tainted with the same faded white, flew out of the trees and straight for her eyes.

Her head shot up off her arms, throwing her loose hair back. “ASHA!?”  
Asha materialized in a panic. “Nalim? Nalim! Hey, hey, nightmare?”  
“Where’s Adrian?” Her breathing was heavy, winded. “Where is he?”  
“I don’t know, hey, look at me.” Nalim did not. “What did you see?”  
She shook her head vehemently. “I’m going to check on him. I have to. Scan the forest.”  
“Nalim. You have to calm down before you freak out anybody. It’s the middle of the night.”  
“Scan the FOREST, Asha.”  
“For WHAT?”  
Nalim was already at the entrance of the barn door, digging her hand into wood. “ANYTHING.”  
“For the love of-Nalim!”  
A firm hand caught her forearm before she crossed the threshold.   
“Shaxx, let go. This does not concern you.”  
“No.” His voice mirrored the tone she used on him, and it made her stop. He was mad. She couldn’t think of a time he’d ever been mad at her. “You’re not jeopardizing this place because you refuse help.”  
She stopped struggling in his grip. There was no way she’d break it either way. “Shaxx…”  
“Do you really think I’d let you go wake up civilians, who look up to you as one of the last hopeful things they have left, and needlessly terrify them because you had a bad dream?”  
“I’m sorry.” Her pride sharpened her tone, but she no longer looked at his face.  
“Sit down, Nalim.” He lowered his helmet at her as a warning. His grip loosened.  
She glared, ripping her arm out of his hand, but still made her way back to her chair. She refused to meet his eyes.  
He folded his arms and leaned against his station. “Would you like to explain yourself?”  
“No.”  
“Let me try again.” Shaxx’s tone dropped to a place she disliked greatly. “Explain yourself.”  
She pinched her nose. “I had a nightmare. You know that already.”  
“Of?”  
“Adrian.”  
Shaxx didn’t budge. His judgmental glare paid no regard to her armor.  
“I had a dream he got taken in a forest.”  
“As in kidnapped? Or Taken?”  
“As in capital T Taken.”  
“Nalim, there are no Taken in the forest.”  
“You’re most likely right, but-” She dug her nails into her palms. “There could be something hostile in the forest.”  
“There definitely is. But it isn’t here, and it isn’t attacking us. Adrian and Theodora, along with all of the other refugees, are asleep. And alive. They’re okay. Bursting into their room filled with your own fear will only scare them when they are all already terrified. I know you know that.”  
She begrudgingly nodded. “I do. I would’ve calmed down by the time I got to them.”  
“I won’t take that risk. And the Nalim I know wouldn’t either.”  
She glared at him. “Then maybe you just don’t know me.”  
He sighed, voice laced with irritation. “Nalim. How long have you been having nightmares?”  
“Why do you ask.” She deadpanned.  
“Because if that’s why you’re only asleep by accident then it needs to be taken care of. You’re not immortal. You HAVE to take care of yourself. Other peoples’ lives depend on you, Nalim. It is no longer just you.”  
“Shaxx, it hasn’t been just me for years.”  
“Then ACT LIKE IT.”  
She quieted.  
“Sleep in here. I don’t care where. Somewhere comfortable.” He turned away from her, and back to his station. “I will be here.”  
“You’re just going to play sentry while I sleep?”  
“No, Nalim. I’m going to finish my work. With you in the room. And if my presence helps you, then so be it.”  
She felt her pride shrivel. “Fine.”  
.  
.  
.  
“Sleep somewhere I can reach you.”  
“Why?”  
“Just do it, Nalim.”  
“Fine, I’m within reach.” She frowned, the pull of sleep already fading her thoughts. “Don’t kill me.”  
“Quite the opposite. Goodnight.”  
“Goodnight, Shaxx.”  
.  
.  
.  
“Are you upset with me?”  
Shaxx paused. “Go to sleep.”  
“I am sorry.”  
“Forgiven. Go to sleep.”  
\--  
The first one was River. She fell from the ship, and every step Nalim took pushed her further and further away. She woke with a sharp intake of breath.  
“Nalim?” Shaxx was so quiet near her. He hadn’t been loud for a while. Unnerving.  
She breathed out. The barn solidified in front of her, and the helmet peering at her from behind a wall. Things fell back into place. “Nightmare.”  
“It’s not real. You are safe.”  
She didn’t say anything.  
“Go back to sleep.”

The second was Callisto. Cal’s apartment in the Tower stood in front of her. Sounds of explosions rumbled on the other side, but nothing would budge the door. No amount of force, no Light, no screaming would let her inside. The doorknob burned her palms.  
She sat up like a bullet this time, staring incredulously at her hands.  
“There’s nothing.” Asha hummed comfortingly. “You’re not hurt.”  
She shook her head, unable to bring out the words.   
“The night is almost over, Nalim. Go back to sleep.” Shaxx’s voice was already fading as she followed his instruction. The memory of the dream was forcibly tossed aside.


	19. 4 weeks, 3 days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> LETS GOOOO
> 
> literally  
> lets go

She followed the footsteps with complete devotion. Sometimes they wove around, sometimes they faded, but any sign of life was enough for her.  
“How far are we from the City?”  
“Far.”  
“Thanks, Argo.”  
He chuckled. “The exact measurement isn’t going to mean anything to you.”  
“Fair enough.” She resembled more a desperate ghoul than a Guardian. “What are the chances these are old?”  
“Possible.”  
“What are the chances they’re already dead?”  
“Callisto.”  
She sighed, the strength leaking from her gait. “Realistic, then.”  
Argo neared her shoulder. “We are going to find these people. And we’ll be okay.”  
She opened her mouth to refute, but nothing surfaced. No energy to argue. Just to walk.

“What if I die of radiation poisoning?”  
“What if, and this is just speculation,” Argo pointedly looked at her. “I do my job of not letting that happen?”  
She smiled.

Ahead of them, the forest broke once more. She followed the footsteps out of the trees and into the sunlight.  
“Cal, look.”

One ship. One battered, dirty, idle ship. Just sitting in the grass. The footsteps muddled into chaos underneath her.

“Oh my god.”  
Argo nodded. “We did it. We found them.”

Both of them stood in silence. The silence did not break.

“Where are they?” She whispered. Whether it was the awe or the exhaustion that drained her words, he did not know. “One ship, no people.”  
“They’re probably hiding. Or just doing something else. It’s not safe to fly in the daytime.”  
“Not one person is going to stay behind with the ship?” Her words dulled with every second.  
“You don’t know if they’re dead yet. Let’s investigate. Carefully.”  
She dragged herself forward, reaching the shadow of the ship. The silence did not break.  
“No bags, lights, nothing. Ship’s not on.”  
“I assume they’d carry everything they could with them. Maybe that just means everything.”  
“I can’t see any more footprints.”  
Argo left her shoulder to scan the ship. “City Hawk 723. This ship belongs to a Guardian.”  
“Can you tell how long it’s been here?”  
“No. Doesn’t say. I think the Tower falling scrambled its ability to track. I’m gonna go inside.”  
Callisto nodded, putting the ship to her back. “Be safe.”

He materialized in the cockpit. The windshield let in the only light, casting the controls in a pale blue.  
“I recognize these,” He muttered, flitting around. “We did our first strike in a model like this. And all our training.”  
The rest of the ship was dark, but not empty. Supplies were shoved in corners and lined the walls. Muddy, not dried footprints. Blankets thrown aside. A lantern and a box of City-made matches. Someone had been in here, and recently.  
“Callisto!” He transmatted back outside. “They were here! They’re alive! The ship is a base! Oh, god. Cal? Cal?!”

She lay crumpled on the ground in the shadow of the ship.  
\--  
When they’d approached, his initial reaction was combat. Natural protectiveness, he guessed, but not much he could do except scream. Argo rose from her body, making himself known to the approaching refugees.  
“A ghost? Fuck. Another.” The woman leading sighed. Her voice lilted almost apologetically. “I’m sorry.”  
“She's not dead.”  
She raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Not that I don’t trust your judgement, but…”  
Callisto was unmoving.  
“Check her pulse. I promise it’s there.”  
The woman, proximity unveiling her features, was familiar. He’d seen her before, maybe in passing. She didn’t show any sign of recognizing him. A dark scarf covered her head, darker from the rain, but now he could see her. She was a human, with red hair and pale skin. Light brown eyes followed his every move with an air of suspicion. Nonetheless, she waved someone forward to follow his instruction.  
The refugee knelt down, swiping away Callisto’s wet hair and gently turning her head. When the pulse showed under his fingers, he nodded to the woman.  
“Well. Fair enough. She’s still kickin. But for how long?”  
Argo sighed. “We’ve been following your group’s footprints for a while now. She’s just exhausted. Will you help her?”  
“What’s in it for us?”  
He looked at her incredulously, as best a Ghost could. “What?”  
“You heard me. Why should I bother with your corpse of a Guardian? You don’t have the Light. She can’t even stay awake. I’ve got other people to worry about. You look like a waste of resources.”  
“You have to be kidding.” He scoffed. “She’s alive. That’s not enough for you to help?”  
She shrugged. The people behind her looked nervous, fidgety. He looked directly to them.  
“Do not a single one of you owe a Guardian anything? All that they’ve done, and you can’t step up to help when you’re needed? Even without the Light, she’s a LIFE! You can’t be bothered to save one life?”  
None of them spoke. They looked at each other, and then to the ground. Never at him. Never at Callisto.  
“Listen, little light.” The woman’s words were sharp. “The lives we’re saving are our own. Your Guardians were never the only thing holding up the world. If she can’t stay alive without the Light like we always have, that’s not on us.”  
Argo seethed. 53 bpm. Callisto was alive. That was all he needed. What he would’ve done for friendly company. One familiar face. One good day. Anything.  
“That ship. Where’d you get it?”  
The woman’s mistrust shined in her eyes. “We had a Guardian in our group. He got killed. It was his.”  
Argo sighed. He’d wished for a happier reason. “Do you know how to fly it?”

They were all silent. He felt his hope rise. “You don’t, do you?”

“No.” Her words leaked irritation.  
“My Guardian can fly it. She’s flown home from Venus in critical condition in a ship exactly like that one. She can fly you anywhere you want. All you have to do is help keep her alive.”  
“So that’s your barter? We help your Guardian, and she flys us anywhere? What do you do?”  
“I’m a Ghost. The only thing I can’t do is shoot.”   
She scoffed. “Fine. Deal. Once the other half of our group gets back, we’ll get her tended to. For now she stays where she is.”  
He nodded, not wanting to even look at the people behind her. All he did was return to Callisto’s hood. “You know where I’ll be.”  
\--  
She opened her eyes, breathing in quickly. Her lungs whined like she’d been drowning.  
“Huh?”  
The sky above her was clear and beautiful. Underneath her, fresh grass. The air smelled like flowers and metal. Metal? Her mask was nowhere to be felt.  
“Where...Argo? I can’t move. Argo?”  
“He is not here, Cali. I am sorry.” A hand brushed away her bangs. The red ribbons on his wrist confirmed her suspicion. “Do not worry. He is alright.”  
It occurred to her that her head was in his lap. He sat in the meadow while she was straightened out like she was ready for burial. Anxiety built in frozen fingertips.  
“...Lexi?” Her eyes flicked up to his face, and he smiled. “Is it- Are you? Am I dead?”  
“No,” He laughed, the familiar reverb making her tear up. “You are okay.”  
“I…” Her thoughts moved frustratingly slow. “Are you real?”  
He shook his head.  
“Am I asleep, or did you just lie about the dead part?”   
He chuckled again. “Have I ever lied to you?”  
She tried to respond, but all that came out was a sudden choked sob. She hadn’t even realized she’d been holding it back.  
“Oh no, do not cry, little sister.” He wiped her cheek. “I am not a liar. I promise.”  
“I’m sorry. I just miss you so much.”  
“I know. But you are strong. You can hold on until we see each other again.”  
“I’m so tired, Lexi.”  
“I know.” He hummed quietly, laughing under his breath. “That is why you are asleep.”  
She gave a bittersweet smile. “Did you paralyze me to make me sleep?”  
“Of course not. It is your dream. Get up if you want.”   
She raised an eyebrow, and he leaned back. With as much effort as it took her to breathe, she sat up. He smiled.  
“Why are you here?”  
“Ask you. I am not real.”  
“Where’s Argo?”  
“With you, of course.”  
“Where are you?”  
“I do not know.”  
She tilted her head in confusion.  
“I know only what you know, Cali. And you do not know where I am.”  
“But you knew where Argo was.”  
“Because you know. He is yours.”  
She groaned. “Why would I ask if-”  
His smile turned amused.  
One hand cupped around air in front of her, and dragged it to her chest. The faintest hint of a point resisted against her palm. She knew what it was without question.  
“I don’t want to wake up yet.”  
Alexi’s expression turned sagelike. Too much wisdom for the youngest of the family. “I know. But there will be other nights. And much nicer days.”  
She frowned, crawling toward him. He accepted her hug with open familiarity. “I miss you.”  
“Then come find me.”  
\--  
She woke up slowly, the fatigue fading from her eyes. Argo’s voice cut through fog.  
“Callisto! You’re awake, thank the Traveler. Are you okay?”  
She groaned, sitting up. “I’m hungry. Cold. Not as tired, though.”  
“You hugged me in your sleep.” He tapped against her forehead, the equivalent of a kiss. “I love those, but…”  
“You let it freak you out.”  
“I let it freak me out. I got scared you weren’t going to wake up. Convinced myself it was your way of saying goodbye.” He sighed. “I like awake hugs.”  
She smiled, repeating the hug. “I’m awake.”  
“I’m glad. You seem happier. Everything alright?”  
“I had a good dream.”  
Argo’s shell imitated a smile. “Good. Because I have a lot to catch you up on.”  
It suddenly occurred to her to look at her surroundings. Supplies were on the ground. New footprints. There was a blanket on her lower half. She felt hope bubble in her throat.  
“People?”  
He nodded. “People.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> argo is a sweet little loving boy but he's also a ghost and will cut a bitch for his guardian


	20. 4 weeks, 4 days

She awoke to a faint and gentle tapping on her shoulder. Without bothering to roll over or even open her eyes, she grumbled out a name. “Euri.” Her presence smelled more and more like the Tower Hangar. Like Holliday.  
“Yeah, it’s me.”  
Nalim rolled over to peer at her. The sunlight coming through the barn lit up the back of her messy hair like a halo. She had dark grease smeared on her chin, and an excited smile stretched her face.  
“Where’s Shaxx.”  
Her smile faltered. “No idea. Why?”  
“He’s not here?”  
“Nope. Unless he’s gotten better at stealth. A LOT better.”  
Asha materialized. “He’s behind the barn chaperoning flower-picking. Don’t worry.”  
“I’m not worried.” Nalim’s expression grew bitter, but it faded quickly. “Euri, what’d you need?”  
“Oh, right yeah. I need your help with Suraya’s broadcast. We’ve mostly got it to work, but I need your expertise. You and Asha.”  
“Alright. Fine. Where is it?” She threw her legs off the edge of her ‘bed’, hopping down. “You afraid it’s gonna blow up?”  
Europa chuckled. “Always a possibility.”  
“Great.”  
“Hey, lighten up. Maybe we’ll live through the blast.” She elbowed Nalim.  
Nalim rolled her eyes. “I’ll tell Shaxx I’m awake and then you can incinerate me.”  
“Yaaaaaay. Meet you on the porch.”  
“Alright.”  
Nalim walked silently around the outside of the barn, hearing the sounds of children grow louder. Adrian was easy to pick out from the group’s noises, and once she rounded the corner she recognized Theo quietly collecting her own bouquet. Not one of them had heard her approach. Including Shaxx, who stood in the center like a flowery monolith. A ring of woven wildflowers decorated the one intact horn of his helmet. It shook her to think he’d ever allow that.  
She felt her waking bitterness dissolve, suppressing her laugh. “Shaxx.”  
He startled, turning. “Nalim! Good morning!”   
“Just wanted to alert you that I was awake and leaving the barn.” She smothered a smile.  
“Good! Did you sleep well?”  
“Better than usual.” Do not smile.  
“Would you like a flower? I would offer you green, but that’s just a leaf.” He hummed over the collection in his palm. “You like purple second best, right? This one then. Purple and green.”  
He held a purple wildflower in his outstretched hand, straining to be gentle with it. She stared at it with wide eyes.  
“Was I wrong?”  
“...No.” She took it. “You...weren’t. Uh. Thanks.”  
The smile behind his helmet leaked through his words. “Of course.”  
“I’m gonna go help Europa now.”  
“Wait. Theodora has been waiting for you to wake up.”  
Nalim turned her attention to the little girl mentioned. She turned at the sound of her name, and grinned when she saw Nalim. She walked over, and without a word, pushed her collection towards her.  
Nalim knelt down, allowing herself to smile. “Are these for me?”  
Theo nodded.  
“This is a lot. Are you sure you don’t want any?”  
She shook her head.  
“What about just one? I’ll put it in your hair.”  
She quietly contemplated it, then muttered an “okay”. She smiled when Nalim picked out a red one and stuck it in Theo’s curls. A memory surfaced of River painting her dark cheeks red with little hearts. A good aunt remembers everyone's favorite colors.  
“There we go. Beautiful.” Nalim smiled. “Thank you for the flowers, peanut.”  
‘Peanut’ left her mouth, but a different voice met her ears. She froze.  
“River?” Her gaze fogged.  
Somewhere else, Theo looked at her in painful curiosity. “Lim?”  
When her eyes focused back in, Theodora’s face had reshaped. River now stared at her. Nalim scrambled backwards.  
“Nalim?” Shaxx. Her focus snapped back. Theo was Theo again, but she looked confused. A little hurt.  
“I...I’m sorry. Sorry peanut.” The word scraped at her ears, but it was her voice again. “Everything’s okay. I just got a little distracted. Thank you for the flowers.” She got up quickly, and stalked off to Europa’s project. Shaxx’s concerned stare was unmet.   
\--  
“Hey, look who’s up.” The red-headed woman caught sight of her as soon as she rounded the corner. About seven people sat inside the ship, all eyes turned to her. “Was wondering if you were gonna make it.”  
“Hello, everybody.” Callisto sheepishly smiled. “I’m alive.”  
“Yippee. Can you fly this ship like your Ghost says?” Her expression was wary. Borderline suspicious. After a month of wandering, it wasn’t hard for her to understand why. Argo remained out of sight for that reason.  
“I can. I did all my training in a model like this. As long as the ship itself works, I’ll get us in the air.”  
“Good.” She turned away, going back to her work. The others in the ship remained quiet.  
“...Hello, everybody.” Callisto gave her award-winning ‘I’m not a walking forest corpse’ smile, stepping into the ship and sitting near them. “My name’s Callisto. I’ve been hoping to find you guys for a long time now.”  
They looked awkwardly to each other, but kindly at her. At least, she thought, it wasn’t suspicious or angry. A work in progress for sure. But not aggression.  
A teenage boy, sitting in the shadow of who she assumed was his parent, leaned forward. “Callisto?”  
She straightened up, delighted for conversation. “Yes?”  
“Did you name yourself that?”  
“Ha, no. I actually came with a nametag, if you believe that.” She grinned. “Sewn right into my shirt.”   
“It’s a good name.” He gave a lopsided smile.  
“I’m glad you think so.”  
The others looked between her and him, the tension loosening. The red-headed woman in front was not included.  
An older woman leaned forward. “Callisto is a pretty name. Does your ghost have a name too?”  
She grinned. “Of course! He’s Argo. He got his name from me. We agreed on it.”  
The questions started pouring in. Callisto hadn’t been so happy to be quizzed in her life.  
“Why do you wear a mask?”  
“It's to protect my tongue. I have a prosthetic.” She clicked off the metal covering and stuck out her tongue. They marveled at it in different levels of disgust and interest. She laughed.  
“How old are you?”  
“I assume you mean the second life. I’m two.”  
Everyone’s eyes widened. “You’re TWO?”  
She nodded, giggling. “Why, do I look old for my age?” That earned her some laughter.  
The older woman barked a laugh. “You’re the youngest Guardian I’ve ever met!”  
“That’s funny, out of my fireteam, I'm the oldest. Besides our mentor.”  
The boy leaned forward further, enthralled. “You had a mentor? Like a Guardian mentor? Was it Cayde?”  
“He…” She composed herself. Now was not the time to ponder terrible things. “He was one of them. The one leading my fireteam was Nalim. I assume you guys have h-”  
“NALIM? As in THE Nalim? The King-Killer? IRON LADY Nalim?” His eyes glittered with fascination. His parent laughed fondly, but shared the impressed expression.  
Callisto leaned back, giggling. “You have heard of her then! That’s the one.”  
“She lived in my building.” The redhead turned. “Stoic woman. Barely spoke. When the missile hit the apartment next to hers, she died in the explosion. I saw it happen. Then she got right back up and started kicking open doors. Are you the same way?”  
Callisto froze. Barely anything had registered in her head.  
“That’s what I thought. Great. We’ve got a two year old newly-mortal broken Guardian with a gun.” The redhead scoffed, turning back to the controls. “How reliable.”  
Argo materialized quick, shell spiraling in anger. “She is NOT br-!  
“Do you know if the person in the apartment made it out?”  
She gave a condescending laugh. “I know you’re not used to it, but people die for good when they get hit with missiles, Guardian.”  
Callisto quieted, looking at the ground. River was gone. It became a very crushing reality that maybe her friends and family were not just somewhere out of reach. A hand gently squeezed her shoulder.  
The older woman gave her a pitying smile. “I’m sorry for your loss. And for...” She flicked her gaze to the glowering woman.  
The other people in the ship now looked directly at her, all in knowing grief. She both felt alone and surrounded.  
A man spoke up. “If it helps, Nalim and two other guardians led me and my family to our evac point. A human warlock and an exo titan. They didn’t come with us because of the…”  
Callisto understood he meant the theft of the Light.  
“But they were as close to the wall as you could get. I’m sure they made it out just fine.”  
The older woman reminded her deeply of Eva. Bittersweet memories of bakeries floated behind her words. “I know you’re a little young to know firsthand, but your mentor’s a hard woman to kill. With or without the Light. Have hope.”  
“Thank you. Truly.” She smiled, although it felt weighted. River was still gone, but they were right. Something to keep waking up for. “It’s been a long time since I’ve spoken to anyone besides my ghost. I’m glad I found kind people.” She stood, slowly pushing herself off the metal. “And you.”  
The room tensed. The red-headed woman turned, visibly irritated.  
“I don’t know you. You don’t know me. But you don’t have to like me to let me protect you.”  
“Look at where your protection got us, Guardian.”  
Cal’s patience thinned, but didn’t break. “Fine. You don’t have to like me to let me fly the ship.”  
“That, we agree on.”  
\--  
Europa’s improvements to the machine were, if the City still stood, called safety violations. But with limited resources and impending mortality on her shoulders, it was a work of art. The night’s moonlight now shined on the metal curvature.  
She stared at it with pride and a tinge of fear. “You checked it?”  
Nalim sighed. “Yes. Several times. It’s good, Euri.”  
“You think so?”  
“I wouldn’t lie about this to you. If it was bad, I’d just be fixing it.”  
Europa shrugged. “Fair enough. Hawthorne, you got your script ready?”  
“I never was a great public speaker, y’know.”  
Nalim set a hand on her shoulder. “This is your home. You call people to it.”  
Hawthorne nodded, a glitter in her eye. “Well, when you say it like that.”  
“Haha, let’s get it DONE!” Euri’s face broke into a grin. “Alexi, please standby for crisis management.”  
\--  
The ship was dark and silent. Everyone was packed inside, asleep and hidden from any passerbys. The only light shined through the dirty cockpit window, from the moon.  
Argo sat on Callisto’s collarbone, cradled in her hands while she slept. The safest sleep she’d had in a month. He hummed fondly.  
“Attention all City evac-”  
He jolted himself with the noise. The static of a radio connection rumbled through him. The volume and motion woke Callisto before he could turn it down, and her eyes pinpointed him in the dark before he had a chance to speak.  
“What is it? Are you okay?” She loosened her grip, whispering.  
He stuttered. “It’s a broadcast.”  
“Play it.” Her eyes widened. The people around her started to shift in and out of their sleep.  
“...to the Farm for regrouping. Once again, all City evacuees, please make your way to the Farm for regrouping. It is safer here. Guardians and civilians. Located at-”  
Callisto was scrambling out of her sleep. “Track the broadcast.”  
The people had now all woken up, watching the yellow dots of light flash around the cockpit in the dark. The older woman spoke up first.  
“Hey, Callisto? What’s happening?” She sounded scared.  
Cal turned in her seat, grinning, although it wasn’t visible. “It’s a broadcast from a safe haven! I can get us there before morning!”  
“Hey, woah, woah. We didn’t say we wanted to go. Let us listen to it too.” The red-head.  
Argo moved to the center of the group. People huddled around him, blue light of his eye warping their faces.  
“...to the Farm for regrouping. It is safer here. Guardians and civilians. L-”  
“That’s… That’s Suraya! I’d know that girl’s voice anywhere!” The older woman sat up. “I knew her dads. Everyone, I trust her with my life, and she’s been living outside the City for years. If she says where she is is safe, I believe it. I vote we go.”  
Callisto nodded. “You know the woman speaking?”  
“Since she was a little girl.”  
“Raise your hand if you want to follow the broadcast.” Argo spoke, watching the hands raise. “Majority. Then let’s head out.”  
The red-head stood up. “Then let me off the ship. I don’t trust it.”  
“Mona, please.” The older woman pleaded.  
Callisto stood up, reaching out over the sea of people to graze Mona’s arm, but she pulled it away.  
“How do we know she isn’t hostage and is luring people into a trap? The amount of people there alone might draw attention and cause another massacre. It’s too risky.”  
“Wait, please. Listen to me.”  
She groaned, hand over the door release button. “Make it quick, Guardian.”  
“I’ll drop the ship far enough away and I’ll be the first to go out and scout. If I don’t make it back, you know to leave. And given it is real, we’re better off in numbers. You’ll never survive out there on your own.”  
“Maybe you can’t, but I’ll do just fine out there.”  
Callisto’s eyes narrowed, just about the only visible expression she could make in this dark. “How long have you been leading these people? A month?”  
“Several weeks. Why.”  
“You’ve been living with and protecting these people for that long. If you think it’s unsafe where we’re going, don’t you want to be there in case you’re right?”  
Mona muttered something insulting.  
The older woman gently touched her arm. “Please, go with us. Callisto is right. I’d feel safer if you were there.”  
“Fine.” She sighed. “I’ll stay. But teach me how to fly the ship. In case you do die.”  
Callisto smiled. “Deal.” She turned back towards the cockpit and sat in the seat, the dark sky before her.  
“Hopefully this flight goes better than my last one.” She chuckled.  
Mona was silent.  
“Because I was shot in the mouth. I’m a great pilot.” Callisto quieted. “Promise.”  
“Ghost, how long is it gonna take before we get there?”  
Argo hummed, scanning the controls. “Bad news. Longer than a night. This ship’s a little damaged, and the broadcast has been amplified. At our fastest, maybe 2 days. That means no breaks.”  
Callisto nodded, strapping herself in. “I can do it.”  
“Not alone you can’t.” Mona braced her hand against the back of the seat. “You’ll fall asleep and kill us all. I’m not even sure we should fly at night.”  
“You’re right.” She gave a tired smile, lost to the shadow. “We can do it.”  
Mona sighed irritatedly. “Let’s just go.”  
“Everyone hold onto something. Here we go!”  
\--  
Several hours had passed, Mona and the others were sleeping, and the ship continued on into dawn.  
Callisto hummed. “I miss Cayde.”  
“What made you think of him?” Argo sat on her shoulder, supported by the chair.  
“Flying this ship reminds me of that mission. Talking to him over the comms. Having someone on the other side rooting for you.” She smiled fondly. “Hope he’s okay.”  
Argo sighed. “I’m sure wherever he is, he’s still rooting for you.”  
“He’s most likely not thinking about me.”  
“I’m sure he finds the time.” His tone bordered on teasing.  
She chuckled, and they flew on in silence.  
\--  
Callisto stood off far away from her, her silhouette dark against the fires before her. Suddenly, a familiar resounding pop filled her ears, and a flaming gun materialized in her hand. She raised it up and-  
“Nalim?”  
She awoke with a start, the calmest she’d been in weeks. “Huh?” Shadows solidified into shapes. “Hey, Alexi. Everything alright?”  
“Why do you not sleep near us anymore?” His voice lilted sadly. He was massive, taller than her and stronger than her, but he sounded so small.  
“Shaxx wants to monitor my sleeping habits to make sure I don’t fuck up.”  
Alexi’s eyes narrowed curiously.  
“I almost did. He’s not wrong.” As if on cue, she could hear Shaxx slam an axe into wood. He only did that when he was thinking hard about something. Her fatigue wiped away her will to know. “Why do you ask?”  
“I miss you.”  
She smiled minutely. “I’m sleeping on a table in a barn. Go back to Europa, Lexi. Keep her warm.”  
“It is too hard to sleep with you far away.”  
She sighed. “You’re just as difficult as she is. I’m not even that far away.”  
“Can I sleep in here?”  
“If you really have to. It won’t be comfortable.”  
“You were asleep on a table. I can manage.” He smiles, visible in his eyes alone. The shadows were only broken by his lights flashing as he spoke. “I will be right back.”  
“Where’re you going?”  
“To bring Euri.” His smile turned a little smug. “I keep her warm.”  
Nalim chuckled, throwing her arm over her eyes. “Alright, alright. Hurry it up.”  
He disappeared into the night outside the barn.

Her dream faded back into the forefront of her mind.  
“Asha, did Cal ever use solar light?”  
Her eye flickered. “Not that I remember.”  
“Hmm.”  
“Why?”  
“She was in my dream. It’s been so long since I’ve had something other than a prophecy or a nightmare.”  
“Maybe you’re just that tired. Your brain doesn’t have the energy to torture you.”  
“I don’t think reminding me of my dead student’s wasted potential is exactly kind.”  
Asha snorted. “Fair. But it could be worse.”  
She sighed. “It could be worse.”

Alexi gently pushed the barn door open with his foot, carrying Europa. Both had blankets over their shoulders.  
“Sleepover.” He grinned.  
Euri waved her hands exhaustedly. “Sleepoverrrrrr.”


	21. 5 weeks, 1 day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> YAY

She awoke from a firm tapping on her shoulder. Mona looked down at her, lit up by the morning light.  
“Hey. Guardian. We’re almost there.”  
Her stomach flipped. Part of her was hesitant to be so hopeful, but to just see other people… that would be enough.  
“I’d rather you be the one to land us. You’ve got about 5 minutes until then.”  
Callisto gave a thumbs up, peeling herself from her position on the floor. Argo flickered silently with her. The people woke up slowly.  
She moved into the center of the group.“We’re landing soon. Remember, I’m going out to scout the place first.”  
“I’m coming with you.”  
Callisto tilted her head, then shrugged. “Mona and I are going to scout. Then, if everything’s good, we’ll come back and get you guys. Until then, you guys hang out in here and be careful. Try not to spook the wildlife.” She gave a dumb smile. Some chuckled quietly.  
The older woman, who Cal learned was named Oendel after four days of intermittent flying, rose her hand. “Worst case scenario, neither of you make it back. How long do we wait?”  
Mona spoke. “24 hours. Unless it’s imperative you leave before then. Then you leave.”  
Cal nodded. “Reasonable. I doubt it’ll be that long.”  
“Alright. And how long’s the walk there?”  
“Should be about an hour for us, two round trip. But if it’s safe, then I’ll just fly everybody there.” She looked to Argo for confirmation, who nodded.  
“We're here. Guardian?”  
“Coming.”  
\--  
Suraya walked hesitantly around the radio broadcasting her voice everywhere. “So what did you actually do to it?”  
Europa sat on a table, swinging her legs. She smirked. “It’s more what DIDN’T I do. Think of it like a makeover. Or a revival.” She snorted. “The ones I can still do.”  
Suraya rolled her eyes.  
“I just pretty much pulled parts from broken stuff around here, made it taller, made it more sensitive, stuff like that.”  
“How much farther do you think it’ll get?”  
“Oh, a lot farther. This is gonna blast it at a diameter bigger than the City itself.”  
“Damn.”  
Euri laughed. “Yeah. Nalim always said I had a blast radius.”  
“You certainly do.”  
\--  
They landed in a small clearing in the trees, tight enough to worry Cal on the way down, but it was safe enough, and with Argo’s guidance, they began towards the signal. In silence.  
Mona walked with her, but several paces away. Her scarf now tied her hair back so that it was completely hidden, and she held her rifle like it was a candle in the dark. A familiar feeling to say the least. She felt a little like Nalim, made of sharp points and thick walls.  
Cal’s helmet pointed her a little to the left. “Hey.”  
She hmm-ed.  
“Can I ask you a question?”  
Mona didn’t respond, but didn’t glare.  
“What were you, before all this?”  
She considered it in the air for a moment. “I worked in the Tower.”  
“Tower’s a big place. Was, at least. Where?”  
“Several shops. I bounced around for a little bit to find my place. What do you care?”  
Cal smiled under her mask. “I wanted to get to know you is all. Seeing as we might be living near each other for a long while.”  
“Don’t get too hopeful.”  
She sighed. Several minutes passed before she broke the silence again.  
“Say it is a safe regrouping spot. What do you hope they have there?” Her helmet pinged on the other side of a tree, and she hopped over the root. “Other than people.”  
Mona rolled her shoulders. “Hot water.”  
“Ooo, that sounds nice.” Cal looked up at the leaves. “I’d kill for a change of clothes. Some soup.”  
“I miss soup.”  
Cal laughed. They continued walking on in silence, but it was less thick. Just air.  
Eventually, the trees thinned, and tall grass gave way to viewing a house.  
They stopped. Mona dragged her down.  
“That’s it. We made it.” Cal’s voice climbed an octave. “Look!”  
Their heads cleared the top of the grass just enough to see a few figures milling around. Now that she could see, it was visible that there was more than one house. One looked like a barn that had seen its share of troubles. Another, just a normal house, except people tinkered with wire extensions on the roof. Cal’s helmet dinged at that one.  
“That’s where the broadcast is coming from.” She gestured.  
Mona rolled her eyes. “Oh, the one with the radio towers? How coincidental.”  
Cal snickered, despite her companion’s tone. “Got me.”  
“Wow. That one was definitely a Guardian. Look at him.”  
Callisto followed her finger to the towering figure in the distance. An exo, shiny black, carried wood on his shoulder.  
“He’s gigantic.” Mona’s tone was critical and amused.”Anyways, we should circle-”  
Cal stood up. Mona pulled on her sleeve and tried to yank her down, but she started to walk toward the exo. None of Mona’s scoldings made it through.

“That’s Alexi.”  
Argo materialized. “Wait, are you s-”  
“That’s him. I found him.” She broke out into a sprint. “ALEXI!?”  
The figure in the distance startled, dropping the wood. He turned, and his tattoo was visible. “Hello?”  
She stopped just short of several feet of him. “I found you. I promised I would.”  
“Do we k-”  
She threw off her helmet.

Without another word said, he picked her up and spun her around. Both of them laughed loud enough for the whole farm to hear, until Callisto’s laughter turned to cries.  
“I missed you so much. So much.” Her voice broke, clinging to his neck.  
“Cali.” His voice was breathless and his grip was tight. "You're alive?" He laughed again. "You're alive." His accent and the robotic tinge of his words had never been more comforting. He set her down, bending to hold her shoulders like she'd float away if he didn't. "How are you alive? We saw you? Saw you, uh, ah?" He got too excited for translating and instead went "psshz?" and mimicked falling with his hand.  
She wiped her tears. "Argo and I had the same question when I woke up in the City. I guess I just got lucky enough to survive. Lexi, are the others…?"  
"Euri is here. Nalim is scouting. She will be back at dusk. Shaxx and some of the others here too."   
She nodded, eyes filling up again. "I was so scared I'd never see you all again. Where's Euri?"  
Alexi's eyes flicked up, and he suddenly spun her behind him, shielding her from the way she'd came. She startled.  
"GUARDIAN!" Mona had risen out of the grass and was pointing her rifle straight at Alexi. She was going to draw very unwanted attention from the camp full of armed ex-Lightbearers.  
"Lexi, she's with me! It's okay!" She dipped under his arm and guarded him. "IT'S SAFE!"  
Mona lowered her gun but didn't drop it. She stalked forward, glaring at Alexi with palpable suspicion. "You know him?"  
Cal was now the one to stand in front of Alexi. "He's part of my fireteam, he's safe. I've known him since the day he was risen."  
Mona nodded. "Alright. If he kills anyone, I'll end the both of you."  
Cal sighed. "I’m aware. Alexi, this is Mona, the civilian leader of the group I flew here."  
Lady materialized over Alexi’s shoulder. "How did you know to come here?"  
Argo did the same, but for his Guardian. "I caught the broadcast almost right after we found people."  
Lady chuckled. "Euri's been working on that. She's gonna have the time of her life in a second when she finds out it really does work."  
Cal smiled, eyes filling up again. “I spent so long wondering if I’d ever see you all again. And all this time of course she’s been tinkering. What’ve you been doing, little brother?”  
His glowing eyes squinted in his smile. “Crisis management.”  
…  
She leaned oddly over the table. One leg was bent onto the chair next to her, for no reason other than she was too focused to care.  
A knock on the door. “Euri?” Russian and robotic. She smiled. “Wassup?”  
It creaked slightly as he walked in. Part of the glint on the tool in her hand was blocked by his shadow.  
“Someone wants to talk to you.”  
“Can it wait? I think I’ve almost got this trigger-”  
“No.”  
She stopped. Alexi was never that forward. “Alright... cool. Am I in trouble?” She set her weapon down, turning to see him. One screwdriver still sat in her other hand.  
He was smiling more than she’d seen in several weeks. “No, you’re not.” He stepped to the side. “You did very good this time.”  
The screwdriver clattered to the ground.  
Callisto stepped forward, smiling through tears. “Hi Euri.”  
Europa stared at her, mouth agape. “But...you-? You’re?” Her voice broke. “Cali?”  
Alexi giggled as Euri slammed into her, hugging her and lifting her up. Same reaction as her giant counterpart.  
“Oh my god, Cali! You’re alive? You’re real?” Euri’s eyes flicked to Alexi for confirmation. He nodded. “How did you survive-? Oh my god, Nalim. She’s been beating herself up about you since the City. She’s going to be so happy. She might actually smile. Cali, I love you so much. Look at your stupid beautiful face.” She squeezed Callisto’s cheeks, planting a kiss on her forehead. “MY BEST FRIEND’S ALIVE!” Cal giggled, still crying.  
“We have to tell everyone you’re alive. I can’t believe it. How did you even survive falling?”  
“I honestly don’t know. I woke up days later in a crater, feeling like I’d been put in a meat grinder. I was lucky Argo was looking for me a street over. We’ve been trying to find you guys ever since.”  
“I can’t believe you just-.” She hugged her again. “Lexi, get in here.”  
Alexi happily obliged, picking them both up, earning him a few yells. He just laughed.  
“Cali, I have so much to tell you. I’m so happy. I haven’t been this happy ever. I can’t wait until Nalim gets back. I can’t believe it. We have to go tell Shaxx!!”  
Cal laughed, her tears slowing. She felt light as a feather. “Hold on. I brought people with me. I need to bring them here now that we know it’s safe.”  
As if summoned, Mona showed up in the doorway, still holding her rifle as a threat. “She’s right. We’ve got people waiting on our return. I need your Guardian. Now that she’s vouched for you all, she needs to hold up her word.”  
Euri looked to Cali, arms linked. “Who’s this? You replace me?”  
“This is Mona. She’s the leader of the group that found me and kept me alive. They had a ship from a fallen Guardian that I flew here. We came to scout, now I need to fly them here.”  
“What IS it with you and piloting ships in emergencies?” Euri sighed. “I don’t like letting you leave the Farm alone. I just got you back. We just got you back. It’s gonna get dark soon.”  
Alexi nodded. “You are weak, little sister. It shows. You are too thin. You need help.”  
Cal sighed. “I’m alright. I’ve made it this far without dying, I can make it a little longer. Just let me bring them here and I promise I’ll rest. Mona will be with me as well.”  
Euri shook her head. “Nope. Mom’s not here, and you’re being stupid, so I’m being responsible. I’m going with you.” Alexi nodded in agreement.  
“Guys-”  
“Uh uh. If you didn’t want your clingy guardian team you shouldn’t have let us know you were alive. Let’s go get some more people.” Euri put her helmet on and left the house, Alexi followed behind.  
Mona sighed, looking pointedly at Callisto. “If they endanger my people…”  
“They would never. I vouch for them. If they do, my life is yours. It’s the last one I have to give.”  
She nodded. “Glad we’re on the same page. Now,” Her mouth turned up just barely. “You think they have soup here?”  
…   
By the time they’d walked back to the ship, Mona found out a lot about the three Lightless winding through the trees with her. She now knew that Europa was akin to a genius, an excellent inventor and engineer with a talent for linguistics, and that she was the comedic one. She knew that Alexi, despite his stature and appearance, was the quiet and polite one. He tended to offer his hand when she came across a larger log, which was regretfully endearing. She knew that Callisto was truly the oldest of them, and they were all at or underneath 2 years old. The trip was mostly eavesdropping for her, but the latter had stuck with her. She was in her late twenties, and they didn’t look much older, but she’d lived in this world her entire life. How old were they really? What was it like to be so new to … this, and have powers unknowable be ripped away so early on?  
Mona stepped over another log, hand inside Alexi’s dark sleek one. He gave a polite smile before leaving her presence to again laugh with his sisters. Has he died before? Have they all?  
“Callisto.” They stopped their banter to look at her curiously. Cal smiled, humming in question. She looked infinitely happier than when they’d found her. “Have you died before?”  
The other two moved slightly to interfere, their smiles dropping. Of course they’d be threatened by that statement. They’re mortal. Young, and newly mortal.  
She tilted her head. “Yes. Why?”  
“Have you all died before?”  
They nodded. Euri backed off, realizing Mona was not angry. “It’s kind of par for the course.”  
Her thoughts bubbled around that fact. Their life was so ...much. She thought about what she’d be like as a Guardian. She wondered what they were like before.  
“There’s the ship!” Cal’s hand rose as they continued forward. A glint of light on metal shined through leaves. “Right where I left it.” They started forward together.  
Mona watched their figures leave her. How old would they live to be? Would they live at all?  
“Hey, you’ve got to be inside for me to lift off. It’s a nice walk back, but it’s getting cold.” Cal’s head stuck out of the back of the ship. When she disappeared back inside, Oendel’s head replaced it. She smiled, beckoning her inside.  
One day at a time.  
…  
When they landed, it was like a communal sigh of relief. They left the ship, stretching out and immediately exploring the Farm. Suraya had been warned of their arrival by Galileo, and she took charge of showing them around.  
Euri slung her arm around Cali’s shoulder. “Hey. How’re you feeling?”  
Cal sunk into her. “I’m exhausted.”  
“You’ve been gone a long time.”  
Her head suddenly shot up. “Are the Vanguard here?” If her fireteam thought she was dead…  
Europa shook her head. “No one’s seen or spoken to them since the City.”  
Cal slouched.  
“Hey, they’re old as fuck and hard to kill, just like Nalim. They’re fine, they’re just not here. You’ll see your boyfriend again.”  
She gave a weak punch to Euri’s side. The latter just giggled. “Come on. We need to tell Shaxx you’re alive.”  
“Why him?”  
“Well he thinks you’re dead. Reason number 1. Also, him and Nalim are kind of running the Guardian show here. They’re both old, scary, and kind of parental, so the others listen to them. They’re training both guardians and civilians in case of combat. Suraya, the leader of the civilians, led us here a few weeks ago. She doesn’t think the City can be saved, but she supports training people to fight. She also knows everyone better. Everyone mentioned is gonna need to know little miss not-dead is here.”  
They walked towards the barn, pushing open the door. Two heads swiveled toward them instead of one.  
Cal’s eyes widened. “Nalim! You’re here!”  
Euri looked surprised too. “It’s not dusk, I thought you’d be back later? Did something happen?”  
Nalim’s datapad was gently removed from her hand by Shaxx, as she looked frozen.

"Is this some kind of sick joke? You're not real."  
Cal looked startled. This was not the reunion she thought would happen. “I promise I am.”  
“I’m asleep. This is another nightmare. You died. I saw it happen. Go away."  
Euri shook her head. “We saw her fall. We didn’t see her die.”  
Nalim stepped warily forward, taking Cal’s hand in hers, examining it. “You can’t have survived that.”  
“I get that a lot, actually.”  
She looked up, meeting Callisto’s bright yellow eyes. “Did Argo survive as well?”  
Argo appeared from his guardian’s palm.  
Nalim looked shocked. Her dreams had never replicated ghosts. “You’re real. You’re alive.” She yanked Callisto into a crushing hug. “You didn’t die. I don’t have any idea how you didn’t but you’re alive.”  
Cal had already cried so much, but the familiarity of Nalim’s entire being broke her last barrier. She burst into hard sobbing, burying her head into her mentor’s shoulder.  
Nalim sighed, and gave a bittersweet smile. “Never fucking do that again. You understand me? I’ll ground you for the rest of your life. Lives. Never again.” She gently swayed, rubbing Callisto’s back. “I hate having kinders. I hate you all.” Nalim glared, but her smile betrayed her. “I’m getting gray hairs from you little shits. Come here.”  
Once again, they crushed into each other, Alexi making sure to lift them and get himself more yells. Callisto had never been so grateful to complain.  
…   
Shaxx hadn’t spoken since their reunion, but his behavior changed. He was faster, more upbeat. More encouraged. Nalim’s charges were playfully arguing outside the barn door as the sun finally set.  
“Hey. What’s up with you?” Nalim set her datapad down. She hadn't really been reading it anyways. “You seem happier.”  
Shaxx turned to meet her eyes, although she couldn’t return it. “Your student is alive. Despite all the obstacles, she survived. And that has changed you. You are happier, Lady Nalim. So I am happier.”  
“Cut that out.”  
Shaxx laughed, in the booming way she’d memorized. He hadn’t laughed like that in a while. “Never. You have hope. I have hope. Light is on the horizon. A victory that is soon to come warrants your honoring.”  
She rolled her eyes. “Save your manners for after the war has been won. See if I deserve it then.”  
He folded his arms at her. “You of all people should know the honor comes from the fight, not the outcome, Champion.”  
“Shaaaaaxx.” She groaned.  
He laughed again, darker this time. “I’m listening, my Lady.”  
“I hate you. Genuinely. Goodnight.” She faked a glare, packing up her things and walking out the barn.  
“Goodnight. Sleep well. I will see you in the morning.” His smile leaked through his words. He was right, she was happy. And now his hope could not be smothered again. Annoying. Endearing. Annoyingly endearing. She dragged her hand across her face.

When night fell, and she once again slept with the rest of the guardians, Callisto’s head rested in her lap. She looked so exhausted, even asleep. Nalim’s mind swirled with the things that could’ve hurt her. If anything, she was happy she could protect Euri and Alexi. Happy they found the Farm. Found other people. Survived this long without the Light.  
“Damn it, Shaxx.” She quietly laughed. She was happy. Very, very happy. Maybe this wouldn’t be the end. Maybe this war was just another cataclysm in the Traveler’s histories. One that they’d make it through.  
She took Callisto’s hand in hers. It felt unfamiliar. Cal’s hand was cold. Tiny. Bordering on skeletal. Her wrist fit alarmingly in Nalim’s closed fist. She sighed sadly, pulling her blanket further over her. There was still work to do. Still healing that needed to be done. And they no longer had all the time in the world.  
“It doesn’t matter. You’re with me now.” Nalim whispered. Euri on one side, Alexi on the other, and Cal draped over her and the sleeping exo heater next to her. “I’ve got you, kid. No getting rid of me now. I’ll kill Ghaul myself if that’s what it takes to keep you parasites alive.”  
She leaned her head back on the wall, and fell asleep. For once, the only thing to wake her was dawn.


	22. 1 month, 2 days

Argo sat on his guardian’s chest, rising up, falling down. One hand was draped over him, the other holding onto her cloak. But she was sound asleep, warm and in a blanket. Dry. A hint of a smile on her face. The world outside threatened their lives nonstop, but she had already been through so much. It gave him hope just to see her smile again.  
“How is she?”  
His eye swiveled up. Asha’s jade shell twisted at him in the form of a wave. Her voice sounded like Nalim’s, almost. Just a tinge of motherhood. Nalim’s was harsher, Asha’s was smooth. They were so similar, but countered each other often. He wondered if he countered Callisto at all. “She’s okay. She’s...alive. Strong-willed.”  
“Yes. She is. You chose well.”  
“We both did.”  
They sat in silence for a second. Callisto’s heart rate ticked in the back of his mind, the slowest it'd been since.

When the sun rose and peered through the window, it hit Nalim’s eyes first. She woke, and immediately her eyes scouted the room. Europa was asleep and alive. Alexi was asleep and alive. She looked down with a smile, gently petting the head in her lap. Callisto. Callisto was asleep and alive.  
“Cali.” She bent down. “Wake up.”  
Her eyes opened slowly, bright flashes of yellow meeting her teacher. She smiled. “G’mrnin.”  
Nalim’s expression was rarely ever this happy, this calm. “Come on. Get up very quietly.”  
“Where’re we going?”  
Nalim mimed “shush”, standing slowly. They left the house without waking a soul. 

“Sit.”  
Cal obeyed, sitting in the grass. Nalim had already wrapped a blanket around her, and was now inside the barn doing...something.  
Argo floated over her shoulder. “The sunrise is beautiful here.”  
“Nice to see it outside the tree canopy.” She gave a dry chuckle.   
Nalim emerged with a piece of bread and a red soup. She bent, handing it to her. “Eat.”  
She obeyed. Nalim disappeared back into the barn.  
“Oh my god, they do have soup.” She laughed. It was warm, actual food. A real meal. She grinned. “Tomato. I love tomatoes. I never want another berry again.”  
Nalim emerged with a thermos of water, and she finally sat down. “Are you cold?”  
Callisto shook her head, mouth full of bread.  
“How’s your tongue? Still healthy?”  
She looked at Argo and shrugged her shoulders. Argo spoke for them both. “Yes, it’s fine. It hasn’t been...forcefully removed after the invasion. Cleaning it hasn’t been too hard.”  
Nalim nodded. “Good, good? Eat slowly. You’re malnourished. You eat too fast and it’ll hurt you worse.”  
Cal stopped shoveling bread in her mouth.  
“When you’re done, we’ll go to the docks and I’ll brush your hair.”  
“Is it messy?” She giggled, blushing. “More than normal?”  
Nalim smiled, in the old lady way she tended to do. “It’s just grown out. You don’t look any messier than all the other refugees here. And Europa’s bed head will make you look spotless.”  
Cal snorted, which sent her into more giggles. “Oh, I missed seeing that for sure.”  
“I’m sure she’s missed your teasing.” She chuckled, standing. “I think your hair has grown more in the last month than mine has in the last decade. Oh, the gifts of youth.”  
“Hey, I don’t think I ever made it to thirty the first time around. This is the least they can give me.” She set her bowl down, holding onto the thermos of water. “I’m ready.”

It was familiar and slightly painful to let Nalim comb her hair on the docks. She would always meticulously go through her charges’ hair, the same way Alexi would hover over you if he thought you didn't feel safe. It was an act of love, but if you asked about it she would scowl and say it was because they “looked like stray animals.” They knew just the same.  
“Tell me about the time you spent away.” Her voice was quiet.  
Callisto sighed. “I woke up...2 days?” Argo nodded. “2 days after the initial invasion. After I fell from the ship. Broken ribs, broken leg, concussion, all the expected things from making a crater in the street.”  
“A crater? I’ve no idea how you lived.”  
“Spite.” Cal chuckled with a sad tone. “I only got two years. That’s not fair. Can’t kill me yet.”  
“Good.” Nalim dipped the brush in water. “Continue.”  
“We got out of the City slowly. There were Cabal everywhere. Just...wreckage. Blood. Fire. It felt so lonely to be the only one left alive in the City. Other than, y’know, the Cabal. They probably left me thinking I was another corpse.”  
“We’re lucky they didn’t bother checking.” Her scissors trimmed away.  
“Yeah. I was alone after that for a long time. We ran across a camp early on, but…” Her knees bunched up closer to her. “They were all already gone.”  
Nalim stopped, squeezing her shoulders. “I should’ve been with you. I’m sorry.”  
“No, there was nothing you could do. I was just too far away. And you kept Europa and Alexi safe. You evacuated people. People that lived long enough to come with me here. You couldn't have done any better.”  
“Thank you, Cal.” Nalim sighed. “But I’m never letting you out of my sight again.” She continued to comb. “I don’t know why the Commander w-”  
“I buried the dead guardians.” Nalim had barely noticed, but Callisto more resembled a ball now than a humanoid. Her spine stuck out of her shirt.  
“Cal…”  
Cal’s shoulders shook. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m crying.”  
“I do. It’s alright. You’ve been through hell, Cal.” Nalim pulled her back, cradling her head. “Don’t be like me. Don’t hold it in.”  
She was shaking like a newborn animal. “I buried...five people…. It took hours and it was so sad. If Argo wasn’t with me I would’ve never made it out alive.”  
“Even then, you scared me.” Argo sighed, nudging her cheek. “She spent so much energy on burial that she passed out on the last one. A cabal ship passed overhead and I thought for sure we were done for.”  
Cal chuckled through her tears. “Maybe I’m just a really convincing corpse.”

Nalim went silent. She stared over Cal’s head into the lake.

“Nalim?”  
She shook her head suddenly. “You’re shaking. I’ll dry your hair. You go back to sleep next to Alexi. Don’t get up until you’re warm or Euri causes an issue.” Nalim guided her up, wrapping her blanket back around her and rubbing a towel on her hair. “You need to talk, you talk, alright?”  
“Alright.”  
“Promise me.”  
“I promise.”  
Nalim wiped a tear off her cheek. “Stay with them. I do not want you alone. Understood?”  
She’d shifted into her commander voice. It helped Cal to calm down. Focus on orders. “Understood.”  
“I’m going scouting. Not for long. If anything happens, you tell Shaxx, and Argo, you tell Asha. Do NOT do anything strenuous. You need to sit around and eat and be warm.”  
Cal sighed. “Alright. Fine.”  
“Cali.”  
She looked up.  
“The fact that you survived this long on your own is a monumental feat. But now you let me keep you alive. You’re my kinderguardian. I don’t raise dumbasses and I don’t let them die of dumbass reasons. Do what you’re told.”  
Cal chuckled. “I love you too.”  
Nalim smiled, and her armor transmatted onto her. She was off before the rest of the Farm noticed, melding easily with the shadows.  
...  
“Asha.”  
“I know.”   
Nalim pounded her way through the trees. “Fuck. Fuck!”  
“Calm down. Lim. Please.”  
“Asha, I’m…”  
“I won’t.”  
“The Light is gone. And my dream WAS a premonition. Postmonition. I don’t know. You know what that means.”  
“You’re my GUARDIAN, Nalim. I won’t do it."  
“Ash, please. Please. I’m just Darkness now. I’ve been tainted a lot longer than this, but without the Light…I can’t.”  
“And what about the others? You just got Callisto back. You’re just going to-?”  
“That’s exactly the issue! She’s barely survived this much. If I get corrupted, and I hurt any of them, I’ll never forgive myself.”  
“Nalim, please listen to me just once in your fucking life.” Asha’s voice rarely ever wavered. She was more level headed than her guardian. It scared her. “You’re my Guardian. I am not killing you, I am not leaving you behind, and unless you shoot me your DAMN self, I am not going anywhere. Do you remember what Callisto JUST said to you? Think of everyone you’ve protected since we lost our Light. All the people that depend on you now. Maybe you’ve been touched by the Dark. I don't know why you see the things you do. It may not be either. But a month has passed and you haven’t done anything but help. Leaving those people behind would be a lot more deadly than if you just took the chance and stayed. You’re a stubborn asshole, but you’re clever. You’re a damn good hunter. You’re too loving and it's why you react so quickly to danger. And why you insist on being the one in front of the bullet. You’re invaluable to those people.”  
“Ash.”  
“Don’t be a little shit.”  
“I was going to say I loved you.”  
Her voice calmed. “Good. I love you too. Idiot.”  
They stood in silence. Nalim sat on the ground, fatigued from arguing.  
“Plus, if you did go evil, that’d make me look bad. I’d be the Ghost that picked an evil person. And I do NOT make bad choices.”  
Nalim laughed. “You’re disgusting.”  
“And you’re any better? Seriously. An excellent strategist and an expert killer but you get a little compromised and you sit in dirt and cry. If this had happened to any of the others you would’ve had it handled by now.”  
“I am not crying.”  
“Fine. You sit in dirt and complain. And try to die. Is that better? C’mon. Get up. Maybe your seer vision can tell us where some more wild fruit is.”  
...  
When she awoke again, it was Alexi’s voice that woke her.  
“Cali. Caaaali.” His voice was rumbly and it made her head vibrate. “Awake up time.”  
She opened her eyes. Her head was leaning on his shoulder, and Europa’s head dug into her side. They resembled dominos. “Mornin’.”  
“Good morning. How are you?”  
“Alive.”  
He chuckled. “A surprise for the rest of us. Up.” He stood, guiding her up. “Okay?”  
She stood weakly, holding onto his hands. Her head throbbed with minor pain, and she felt a million bruises react to the movement. It wasn’t new in the slightest. “I’m okay.”  
Europa grumbled behind them, standing. “Alexiiiiii. I hate yooOooOu.”  
“You need to eat. Cali needs to eat. No whine.”  
She rubbed her eyes. “Cali?” She opened them suddenly, smiling. “Almost forgot my favorite surprise! How y'doing?”  
Cal laughed. “I’m alive.”  
“Let’s try to keep it that way this time around, hmm?” Europa clapped her on the shoulder and began leading them out of the Guardian sleep room. They were the last to leave.

The Farm buzzed with the same activity she’d seen when they first arrived, with the added energy of the new arrivals. They were all sitting in the heart of the Farm, surrounded by houses. Oendel waved to them with a soup bowl in her hands.  
Cal tugged on Alexi’s arm. “Hey. Nalim gave me food this morning. I don’t need to eat.”  
His face turned down to her with a look she’d memorized. Even with limited facial movement, he managed expressions quite well. “You are eating.”  
“Lexi, I don’t wanna. I don’t want to take too much from everybody else.”  
“You are eating.”  
She thought about taking her hand off his arm and bolting. As if he could read her thoughts, he locked his other hand onto hers. No escaping Mr. Iron Grip now.  
“Why.” She groaned.  
Alexi sighed at her. “You are weak and little. You’ve done too much. You need to heal. Heal means eat. So you eat. I make you.”  
Europa turned to walk backwards in front of them. “C’mon, you haven’t been gone THAT long. You knew Alexi was gonna assign himself as Cali’s Caretaker the minute he got the chance.”  
She laughed. “So what’d you do while I was gone?”  
He flicked his eyes towards Euri. “Caretaker. Crisis management.”  
That’s what he meant. She smiled. “I really, really missed you guys.”  
“Good, we’re kinda great.” Euri handed her a bowl. “Eat.”

They sat down with their food in the grass near the others. Cal shrugged the blanket off her shoulders. Alexi put it back on. She groaned.  
“So,” Euri spoke with her mouth half full. “We have so much to tell you. First off, Shaxx and N-”  
Alexi shook his head. He gestured upwards with his chin. Euri froze.  
“Deliveries for fireteam Jupiter!!” Shaxx boomed as he approached the group with a small child in each hand. He dropped them, laughed, and rejoined another group.  
Callisto’s face lit up. “Theo! Adrian! I didn’t know you two were here!”  
Theo sat herself in Cal’s lap, hooked onto her neck and burrowed in. Adrian danced his spot, tapping her shoulder excitedly. “Mr. Shaxx said Aunt Nalim’s friend came back and he brought us to you! Hi! Hi! We really really missed you!” He gave a big toothy grin.  
Cal giggled, and scooped him into her hug. “I missed you too! What have you guys been up to while I was gone?”  
“I help the Guardians with um, um.” He wriggled in her grasp to sit next to his sister. “Um, I carry stuff. Nalim said I can carry wood and other thingies but I’m not supposed to touch guns.”  
“That’s probably a good idea.” Cal shot an amused look to her sister.  
Theo spoke quietly. “Nalim said you and Aunt River were somewhere else. Were you with her?”  
Alexi and Euri shared a panicked glance. They looked at Cal, shaking their heads slightly.  
She mouthed ‘I know’ over the children’s heads. Euri looked confused and relieved. Alexi just stared at his hands.  
“I didn’t see her, I’m sorry Theo. I wandered around a lot.” She giggled. “Your aunt’s a little smarter than that.”  
She smiled, but there was something behind her dark young eyes. “It’s okay Cali. She is very smart.”  
Adrian popped out of her lap. “Training is starting! I’ve got to go help. You’ll stay here, right Cali?”  
“I’m not going anywhere.” She smiled.  
He shot off to follow a line of refugees. Theo got up and followed after him.

“How did you find out?”  
Cal tightened her grip on her blanket. “One of my group was Nalim’s neighbor. Saw it happen.”  
Euri sighed. “I’m sorry you had to find out alone.”  
“How’s Nalim?”  
“She took it rough. Poured herself into keeping us alive. Had trouble sleeping until she had an incident with Shaxx and he forced her to sleep near him in the barn. She hadn’t slept in the communal with us until you reappeared.”  
Cal nodded. “I can’t imagine what it was like.”  
“Shaxx is keeping her together pretty well. She does her Nalim thing and cares for him. He does his Shaxx thing and cares for her.” She winked, leaning closer. “What I was going to say earlier is I think Shaxx has a crush on Nalim.”  
Cal giggled, slapping her hand over her mouth. “What?!” She looked to Alexi, the mediator. He nodded.  
“No, really. Listen to how he says Nalim. It’s so sappy. And he won’t shut it about what a good Guardian she is.”  
“Oh my god.”  
“It’s actually really cute. They’re like everyone’s little Guardian parents.” Euri laughed.  
“And what about Nalim?”  
Euri’s expression soured. “I’ve been watching. She’s still reeling from River’s loss. Hard. It’s gonna take her a while. But from how she acts around him, I’d say Shaxx is in luck. And I think getting you back has really helped her.”  
Cal smiled. She thought about Nalim gently brushing her hair. “Happy to help.”  
“Also, I told Shaxx you were in love with Cayde.”  
“You HUH?!” Cal smacked her. “WHY?!”  
“YOU WERE DEAD?!”  
“STILL! SNITCH!”  
“HOW COULD I HAVE POSSIBLY KNOWN?”  
“I’M NEVER TELLING YOU ANYTHING EVER AGAIN!”

Alexi sighed.


	23. 1 month, 1 week

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> my favorite part of transferring these over is forgetting the chapter title # literally every single time multiple times

For the past few nights, they'd finally settled into some semblance of routine. Europa and Alexi would train, then they'd split to work on the Farm. Europa would disappear into metal and elbow grease and usually come out with some sort of bomb. Alexi would be the heavy lifter and tend to the gardens, smelling of dirt and flowers. Callisto would be monitored all day and do no-effort upkeep. Nalim would either help Shaxx, or delve into the nearby ruins and scavenge. At night, they came back together and dog-piled.  
Every night, without fail, Asha would scan them all and update her files.

"Cal's gaining weight." Asha whispered. "Slowly, but she'll make it."  
Nalim's hand circled her wrist nonetheless. Still thin. "She needs to sit down and stop moving so much."  
"She's frustrated, you know. Restless."  
"I'm well aware. But I've never saved any lives being lenient. She'll have to be patient."  
"If you don't give her some responsibility, she's going to seek it out herself."  
"Cal's not a rule breaker." Nalim sighed. "At least she wasn't. Now she's been through hell. Maybe her standards for obedience have fallen. I'll find something for her to do."  
"Let her help Shaxx. Then he can keep an eye on her. He won't be as lenient as Euri and Alexi when you're gone."   
"She won't like it. "  
Asha gave the imitation of a shrug. "We're fighting for our lives here. She's going to have to deal."  
Cal's hand twitched into a fist. They looked down at her.   
"She's just…" Asha stopped.  
"Dreaming."  
They shared a silent, tired glance.  
…  
Black.  
Callisto dropped into her own body like a weight. She breathed out, facing the dark floor on her hands and knees.  
"Argo?"  
To her surprise, she held out her hand and he dropped into it. His eye blinked to life. "Callisto?"  
She could never pinpoint why, but she knew he wasn’t a figment of her mind. The way he just *was* told her that was really him. He seemed to look at her the same way. "I'm here."   
"What is this? Where are we?" He spun in her palm, shooting his eye light at the surroundings. The darkness on the walls folded around them continuously, like a stream of sludge. They both backed away uneasily. The fact it made no noise made her stomach roll, but she thought it would’ve been worse if she could hear it.  
"I've got no clue. I'm dreaming. I've gotta be. I was just asleep. "  
Argo hummed nervously. "Good explanation for you, but why am I here? I don't think I can dream. At least I never have thus far."  
"Maybe without the Light..?"  
"Maybe."

Without warning, a blink of light broke through the darkness in the distance. A few steps forward, and the sludge ate her efforts. She dropped through with a scream.  
…  
She expected to wake up in a frenzy, but only her eyes snapped open. It took her a second to realize fear had paralyzed her.  
“Argo?”  
He moved up towards her face. “You okay?”  
“Were you…? Did we?”  
“I’m not quite sure what that was, but it was me. Your heart’s racing. Breathe.”  
“I’ve never...heard of a…” She let go of her breath, only to start again in spurts. “Joint nightmare.”  
Argo tapped her forehead. “I’d rather be with you than not. At least it wasn’t real. You need to sleep, though.” He settled into her hand. “You’re okay. I made sure.”  
She smiled, feeling her body let go of the fear. She settled back into sleep. He was right. It was just a nightmare.  
…  
Nalim gently removed herself from the dogpile earlier than usual, undoing her ponytail as she walked into the empty Farm. The lights in the barn were still on, as expected.  
By habit, she looked through the cracks before entering. Shaxx was indeed in there, shuffling around data on his screens and muttering things to his ghost. He gave a low, tired chuckle to whatever they’d said.  
She smiled subconsciously. It dropped as soon as she noticed.  
He turned away from his work to put something on her table, staring at it for long enough to make her curious. Then he shook his head at himself and turned back to his work. From her place, she couldn’t see.  
She turned away from the barn towards the water, running her fingers through the tangles in her hair.  
“Why didn’t you go in, stalker?”  
“Ash.” Nalim swatted. “ Can I have a comb. Please.”  
Asha rolled her eye. “Needy.” A comb plopped into Nalim’s hand. “Is today a scout day or a Shaxx day?”  
“Please don’t tell me that’s what you log it as.”  
“What? You want me to call it scavenge day instead?” She couldn’t see her little light at the moment, but Asha’s tone gave her away. Nalim only groaned.  
“I’m staying here today. One of Suraya’s scout teams is going out to check on the other forest occupants.” She meant the Fallen. “And she only wants to have one group relying on radio attention.”  
“Makes sense.”  
Nalim pulled her last knot through the comb and threw her hair behind her. It hit her back with a cold watered thwap.  
When she entered the barn, Shaxx turned immediately. “Good morning!”  
She avoided his helmeted gaze, and instead looked at the table with interest. “Morning, Shaxx.” The item under her screen made her stop in her tracks.  
“Oh, that’s ah- a gift from the twins. I am simply their messenger.”  
Purple flowers. ONLY purple. They didn’t know her first favorite color, much less her second.   
“Thank you. For...delivering these.” She sat down, twirling one between her fingers. Maybe he’d told them. Maybe he didn’t. She was certain she hadn't even told him. “Hey.”  
He turned. “Hm?”  
“I thought about having Cali help you with my data when I’m out. She usually is monitored by Europa and Alexi but they let her do whatever she wants. She needs to actually be watched and kept still. And given something to do.”  
“The very opposite of a Guardian’s nature. Stay still.” He said the last two words with such venom that it made her laugh.  
“I figured you’re the expert at watching Guardians.”  
“I can monitor her if you want me to. If she’s anything like you, however, I won’t be able to do much.” His smile leaked through his words. Here he went again.  
She shoved down a smile. “She’s nicer. Thank you, Shaxx.”  
“Of course.You love her. It is my honor to be trusted with her.”  
She nodded, unbeknownst to him. A doctor once had said the same thing. The stem of a flower broke between her fingers.


	24. 1 month, 8 days

Callisto dropped into her body, identical to the previous night. As if by telepathy, she caught Argo in her hand.  
“Here again, are we?” Argo sighed, regaining his hovering ‘posture’  
The light flickered in the distance. Callisto stared at the steps in front of her with open suspicion.  
“Hey, at least if we fall through again, we wake up.”  
She hummed, unsure of the validity of that statement. She started forward. 2 steps more than the previous attempt before the ground absorbed her again. She did in fact wake up.

Hours passed, the dream setting in the back of her mind like an old curtain. Nalim stood over her, muttering words and saying things she was certain she was supposed to be understanding. Nalim was her mentor, but surely using a data pad wouldn’t be too far out of Callisto’s current knowledge.  
“Alright kid. Gotta head out. You gonna be okay?” Nalim’s dark brown eyes lowered to her face. She felt like she was being scanned, inside and out. Could Nalim smell nightmares on her? Would she pull them out of Cal’s subconscious and review them like a strike report? It didn’t seem out of her mentor’s capabilities.  
“I’m fine.” She gave a half-smile. “Go ahead.”  
“Good. You know the drill. Tell Shaxx, call Asha, drag around Euri and Alexi if anything bad happens. And eat. your. rations.”  
“Yes ma’am.” She softened her sarcastic tone.  
Nalim tucked Cal’s bangs behind her ear before shouldering her sack and disappearing.

The data pad sat in front of her face, displaying things that felt like a foreign language. Argo started working.


	25. 1 month, 9 days

The next night, she made it further, but dropped through the floor regardless. The light had started to minutely take shape.

“Euri?”  
“‘Sup?” Europa peered over her ...item. It could not accurately be named yet.  
“After the City, did you have any weird recurring dreams?”  
Europa shook her head. “Weird dreams, yeah, but they’ve never been recurring. Just regular ol’ nightmares and things. Are you?”  
She hesitated to share for a second, but this was Euri. Euri knew all of her secrets. “Yeah. They’re weird. Every night, I’m running towards a light in the dark, but I drop through the floor before I ever get to it.”  
“That sounds like a pretty cliche ‘I got my Light’ stolen nightmare. You’ve been through the wringer, Cali. It’s honestly not surprising your mind’s going haywire with worst-case scenarios.”  
“Yeah, you’re right. Wish my mind was mixing up the content a bit though. And stop dragging Argo into it.”  
“Argo’s in your dreams?”  
“Yeah, we’re apparently having joint dreams now.”  
Euri set down her work. “Is that…”  
“Possible?” Cal shrugged. “According to my dreams, yeah.”  
Euri shared a concerned glance with her own ghost. “Have you told Nalim about this?”  
“No, Nalim’s already got me under lock and key just to keep me from dying of starvation.”  
“How dare she.” Euri smirked.  
“I don’t want to give her another thing to worry about, especially if it’s just ‘I’m having spooky dreams’” She gave a comically childish pout. “Probably couldn't count the amount of people doing that here with both hands.”  
“If it was just nightmares, I’d agree.” Euri shrugged. “At least give me updates, okay?”  
Cal frowned.  
“oh-KAY?”  
“Fiiiine.” She rolled her eyes, but smiled. “I’ll tell you every little detail about me and Argo’s spooky sleep time.”  
“Cool. Can I braid your hair?”  
“No. You have greasy hands.”  
“Come here.”  
“NASTY! ALEXI!!!”


	26. 1 month, 10 days

The light was shaped a bit like a claw. She held her breath when she fell through.

“Lord Shaxx?”  
“Yes, Callisto?” He turned to look over his shoulder. His normal volume amusingly dwarfed hers.  
“How long does Nalim usually spend out scouting?”  
“Hmm.” He looked up to think. “About 8 hours. Most of the daylight. Why?”  
“Just curious.”  
Argo gave her a sideways glance. She returned it, her response telepathic. He gave an uneasy nod, and turned back to the datapad.


	27. 1 month, 11 days

“This is getting annoying.” The sludge covered her shoes.  
“I wonder what the point is?”  
“Probably to get to that light.” She tossed her head towards the claw-shaped thing. At this point she realized it was indeed claw-shaped, and yet she’d made no movement forward. She’d started closer this time around apparently.  
“Yes, but why? What will it give us?”  
She pulled her foot from the sludge, starting forward. “Sleep, hopefully.” She dropped through.

When Euri was no longer in need of more hands, and Alexi had relaxed his monitoring, Cal slipped away. She wandered toward the center of the Farm, where most of the civilians gathered to do their own tasks and socialize. Mona’s headscarf and red hair stuck out.  
“Hey, guardian.” Mona looked up as she approached. Her tone sounded much softer than their first meeting, and it made Callisto smile. “You look more alive.”  
“I’m trying.”  
“Cheers to trying. You look like you need something.”  
Cal sat on the stone bench she currently rested on. Mona cleaned her rifle, raising an eyebrow and leaning closer. She was almost as good at reading a room as Euri was.  
“Do you know where Suraya is? Usually, at least? The leader lady?”  
“Oh, is that all? Yeah. She’s with her bird up on the barn balcony.” Mona gestured behind her. “What’s up with you? You’re different.”  
“I’m just healing. Tired. Do me a favor, don’t bother mentioning I asked to anyone.”  
Mona tilted her head. “You’re suspicious, you know that? But I guess I owe you a little trust. Don’t fuck up, guardian.” She cocked her rifle with a pointed glance.  
Cal just chuckled and wandered towards the barn. Nothing new, at least.

“Hey, Hawthorne?”  
She turned to face the voice, pushing down her poncho’s hood. Her hair was a sleek dark brown, skin tanned dark like Euri’s, deep brown eyes like Nalim’s. Dark painted dots circled her face. She was pretty. Her expression looked kind, a little nervous. Despite being the default leader of a refugee camp, she gave off no intimidating aura. She just felt benevolent. Cal hoped her impression was right.  
“Hey! You’re the surprise Guardian, aren’t you? Your friends were sure you were dead.”  
Cal smiled. “That’s me. I had a question, if you have time.”  
“‘Course! And you can call me Suraya.” She gestured for Cal to come forward. “Louis won’t bite, he’ll just sniff you. He’s a good boy.”  
She felt very safe. Maybe that’s why Suraya was unequivocally leader. “That big thing out in the distance. What is that?”  
“Man, don’t they have a Guardian school? That’s a piece of the Traveler. Shard is the fancy name. I think it's funny to call it the Crumb.”  
Cal raised her eyebrows. "Why's it...?" She mimed separation.  
“Oh, it’s mega corrupted. I think the Traveler shucked it off and left it behind because it was corrupted. The place that surrounds it is super dangerous. You don’t go in there if you want to come out alive. If you’re mortal, at least. Don’t go touching it.”  
Cal stared off at its silhouette. “What corrupted it?”  
“My guess? Darkness. That’s usually what does that kind of stuff. Although I did play hooky a lot, so.” Suraya gave an amused shrug. “What’s up? It making you nervous?”  
“Can’t say I enjoy its presence.”  
She gave a sharp laugh. “Now that’s where we agree. That thing gives off bad vibes. We’re too far away to be affected. Don’t worry too much about it.”  
Cal wished very much for her to be right.

Argo materialized over her shoulder when they were far enough away from the barn. “Do you think that’s it?”  
“It has the same shape. I thought it was a claw before, but now look.”  
They stood at the edge of the field.  
“I can’t say that shard doesn’t feel familiar. And not in a way I enjoy.”


	28. 1 month, 12 days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> cal: wow im really glad ive found my team and am now relatively safe here and nothing horribly weird is happening to me  
> the traveler: hey queen *invades ur head*

“Ugh.” Callisto pushed off the slime floor.  
“Agreed.” Argo sighed, circling her. “Onward, I guess.”  
“What if I just stay where I am?” She folded her arms. “I’ve only fallen due to trying to get through. How long do you think it’ll take before I just wake up?”  
“Might be worth a shot. Maybe it’s trying to get you to do the opposite of instinct.”  
“Hopefully ‘it’s’ on my side.”  
“Cal. Cal. Cal.” Argo’s voice climbed an octave. “Blood. You’re bleeding.”  
He wasn’t wrong. She felt the liquid cross her lip and drip down her chin. “Oh boy.” It dripped fast, like a new wound, but not normally. Instead of the normal bowl-filling sensation her exposed tongue usually triggered, it felt like a string was being tugged out of her mouth.  
“Callisto?”  
She gave him a slightly panicked glance. It fell down her chin and onto the ground in one line, much more bright red than blood usually was. It started to ‘drain’ towards the light.  
“I think that’s a pretty clear response to our stand still strategy.” Argo shuddered. “Let’s go.”  
She swirled her hand around the red blood string. It gave way to her motion just like a normal thread, but still fell past her skin like liquid. Unnerving to say the least.  
“Cal? Let’s go! Go!”  
All at once, the sludge at her feet started to fill, and the string connected to her mouth pulled taut towards the claw light. Her heart jumped into high gear.  
“Run!” Argo sped next to her as she pulled herself from the floor. Heavy steps drew her energy quickly, her body straining for the effort. The shard had never looked so close.  
“Hold on!”  
She wrapped her hands around the string like a desperate climber, and held her breath. A wall of dark slammed into her, and she dropped.

She awoke this time like she’d expected to the first go-around. Her top half shot up, chest heaving like she’d almost drowned. It felt like she had. Argo tapped her head in a “we’re alive” kiss, but gave off the same level of exhaustion.  
Nalim had undoubtedly felt Cal’s weight leave her legs, and now stared at her, concerned. “Hey, you okay?”  
She tried to calm her breathing, nodding sideways.  
Alexi’s eyes flickered on, and his warm metal hand encapsulated hers. Euri had apparently woke up too, and set a hand on her back.  
“Was it the nightmare again?” Euri tilted her head.  
Nalim glanced much more concernedly between her and Euri. “Are you having nightmares?”  
She looked down sheepishly. “Yeah. It was just another nightmare. Don’t worry.”  
“The SAME nightmares?”  
“I mean, yeah.” Here was her fear manifesting. Nalim was going to get too worried about it. Euri mouthed ‘sorry’ in the moonlight. “It’s just the same thing every night. Creepy dark hallway, light at the end of the tunnel. Get eaten by black sludge, wake up.”  
Nalim’s expression looked intense. “How many times have you had this dream?”  
“...Every night.”  
“For how long?!”  
“It’s just nightmares. It’s really not all that surprising, considering.” She felt awkward. What kind of guardian had to be watched this much?  
“Cal, I love you, but you have no idea the weird shit that happens to people in our situation.” Nalim was glaring, but not angrily. “Tell me.”  
“I haven’t really been counting. A few days, at least. Maybe a week?” She tried to focus on Alexi’s gentle hand stroking. Was something wrong with her?  
“What happens in them?”  
“Me and Argo appear in a hallway covered in dark sludge-”  
“BOTH of you?”  
Argo nodded. “It’s actually me in there too.”  
Nalim looked heavily confused. Ghosts never appeared in her visions. No Light was ever replicated. She couldn’t decide which one she preferred.  
“I start running towards the light, which we think is the Traveler shard, and then I fall through the ground.”  
“Why was tonight different?” Euri. Her scientist voice had activated.  
“I decided to stop chasing it, and suddenly my mouth started bleeding. But it wasn’t blood, it was like a string. A thread. It started to pull me towards the shard, and then the hallway filled up and drowned me.”  
Nalim shook her head. “That doesn’t sound good.”  
“It certainly wasn’t my favorite.” Cal laughed lightly.  
“Don’t go near the shard, Cal.”  
She tilted her head. “Why not?”  
“Not only is it unsafe to be near, the journey itself will kill you. And you are not immortal.” Now Nalim was being stern. Cal felt in trouble, although she really hadn’t done anything yet. Yet.  
“What if I’m supposed to?”  
“You are NOT going to. Do I make myself clear?”  
Cal held back a groan. “Yes. Fine.”

When she set her head back down to sleep, she looked at Argo. He looked at her. They both solemnly tapped their ‘heads’ and closed their eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cal: theyre just repeated weird dreams its literally nothing  
> Nalim, queen of horrible prophecy dreams: :) when will god(s) stop trying to kill my kid


	29. 1 month, 2 weeks

“Shaxx? I’m going to take a break to eat, I’ll be right back.”  
Shaxx nodded over his shoulder. “Of course. Go eat well, Callisto!”  
He meant well, but he was too absorbed in his work to look at her face. If he had, he would’ve recognized the expression she wore. If he had, he would’ve known.  
Three hours passed until he thought about it. He turned to look at her chair, and the console was fully turned off. He looked around. Occasionally Nalim would curl into one of the many nooks and crannies and nap, but he saw no swath of blue in the usual places.  
“Hunters.” He groaned, making his way outside.

“Europa.”  
She jolted, turning towards the door and pushing up her goggles. “Hi. Am I in trouble? You sound like I’m in trouble.”  
“No. I am. Have you seen Callisto recently?”  
Euri’s face drained of color. “No. Have...you?”  
He sighed. “No.”

Shaxx, Europa, and Alexi circled each other, Galileo in the center.  
“I’ve got a signal from Argo.” He hesitated. “He’s not answering.”  
Lady tried, with the same result. “At least that means he’s alive. He’s just ignoring us.”  
Shaxx folded his arms and looked down. “Him, but not her.”  
Euri shook her head. “Cal’s alive. That’s why he’s not answering. She told him not to. If she’d died, he’d have no reason not to talk to us.”  
“But why?”  
“She’s going for the Shard.”  
“WHAT?” Shaxx snapped.  
“She’s been having nightmares about it. Nalim told her not to go but I could tell she had thought about it. I don’t know what kind of stuff she saw but it was serious to her. Apparently ‘run away when Nalim can’t catch you’ kind of serious.”  
“Nalim.” Shaxx could make no facial expression towards them, but his entire posture told them all they needed to know. “I’ve failed. I need to tell her.”  
“You had no idea she was going to bolt. Nalim will understand.” Euri was trying hard not to shake. “I can tell her.”  
“No, it has to be me.”

Nalim pulled herself from a closet blocked by debris. She had a bundle of fabric in her arms, and winked.  
**Requested Comms Connection: TITAN GUARDIAN LORD SHAXX.** Her mind beeped.  
“I found a bunch of ratty old blankets, but they look like they’ll work.” Nalim sighed. She dropped them and started shoving them in one of the packs drawn to her bike. It was annoyingly slow, but sparrows were not for the mortal. “I think I’m good in this building now.”  
**Message request sent.**  
“Should I go next door or just start heading back into the forest? I’m not excited to pick berries again.”  
“Try next door. It’ll be fast because it’s probably empty. Don’t get stuck when you’re wiggling.” Asha couldn’t sweat, but if she could, she would’ve been.  
Nalim paid her no mind. “You know I hate it when you call it wiggling.”  
Asha chuckled.  
**Request accepted.**  
**G.NALJ1: Did something happen?**  
Ghosts were fast. They could read volumes of data in seconds, so the hesitation in answering was human. That was not soothing her turmoil.  
**G.LSHAXX: Yes.**  
**G.NALJ1: Bad?**  
More hesitation. She considered pulling Nalim back from her pursuit. Not yet.  
**G.LSHAXX: Callisto’s gone.**  
**G.NALJ1: Dead?**  
**G.LSHAXX: No, she’s run away. Her fireteam says she’s going for the Shard.**  
Fuck. Fuck. But she wasn’t dead. “Nalim! C’mere.” She tried desperately to sound normal. Shit.  
**G.NALJ1: How long since anyone saw her?**  
**G.LSHAXX: 4 hours.**  
That wasn’t too long in the grand scheme of things. Sure, the girl could cover distance, but she was weak. Nalim had a bike. They could catch up in time for Nalim to kick her ass into the next century. Asha groaned internally. Hunters.  
**G.LSHAXX: My guardian says he last saw her when she said she was going to go eat. He suspects that’s when she left. Signal to Callisto’s ghost has been established, but no returning contact has been made. Jupiter II believes she is alive and telling her ghost not to respond.**  
Ugh, Shaxx’s ghost was so formal sometimes.  
**G.LSHAXX: My guardian wishes to inform yours of the situation personally.**  
Oh boy.  
Nalim stood in front of her, having wormed her way out of the ruins. She watched Asha with a careful gaze. “Who is it?” Of course she knew.  
“Shaxx wants to call.”  
She appraised Asha’s tone like a computer. Her eyes narrowed. “What happened?”  
“Ask him.” Her shell sizzled with the connection.  
“Nalim.”  
“Shaxx…?”  
“Callisto has gone for the Shard.”

\--

The later it got, the more tangible her anxiety became. Her fingertips tensed like eyes were on her for hours on end.  
“Asha’s pinged me. They know.”  
“Oh no.”  
“Yeah.”  
“How far are we?”  
“Maybe an hour. Two if we’ve gotta keep from being hunted.”  
So that was the terror in her gut. This was being prey. And her mentor was now her own personal predator. She missed Nalim. She hated the idea of being the target of her anger. But this wasn’t optional. That Shard wanted her attention and it had it in an iron grip, so the Iron Lady would have to take a backseat.  
“Ping her.”  
“Why?”  
“Find out how much time I’ve got to get to that Shard or dig my own grave.”  
“Fair. I pinged her twice and either Nalim’s one hell of a Lightless runner or she’s on a bike. Should we hide?”  
“Oh, I’m dead meat for sure.” She groaned. “She’s Iron Lady Nalim, Most Feared, I think she could probably just sniff me out like a bloodhound at this point.”

A wisp of something escaped her peripheral, barely registering as a fleeing bird. Probably from her panicked tromping through the underbrush. She turned suddenly, hand on her gun.  
“You’re kidding.” She laughed. “Am I losing it?”  
“If you are, I am too.” Argo scanned the abandoned pike, a Fallen version of a sparrow. “And it works. Looks like it’s your destiny to floor it.”  
…  
“They’re moving faster. She’s got a vehicle.”  
Nalim pounded her head on her hand. “Of course! Asha, I just can’t- I can’t- If she dies out there...FUCK! Call Shaxx.”  
“Shaxx?”  
“SHAXX.”  
His voice came through her helmet with a little hesitation. “...Nalim?”  
“I need you...to tell me...something encouraging.” She was full of adrenaline and frustration at her less-than-lethal bike. “Please.”  
“Of course! Callisto is a smart guardian. You are a good teacher. She has grown to be very similar to you. Quick, clever, beautiful, and unstoppable.” He was amusedly trying to sound like he was at all prepared for this spotlight. Nalim smiled slightly. “She will undoubtedly answer the Traveler’s call with persistence and come back JUST fine.”  
She didn’t need to hear Asha’s response to feel it. Was he just calling her pretty? Right now?  
“Shaxx...did you-?”  
“Callisto has been summoned by the Shard, whether or not you, I, or Callisto herself approves. Nalim, stop hunting her. Go to her side and make CERTAIN she returns unscathed. I know you can do it.”  
He was right. It occurred to her that speaking to Shaxx was similar to Asha, in a way. He didn’t have to say they’d discuss his compliment when she returned. He didn’t have to tell her the intricacies of what Callisto was going through. He never asked her why she asked him to do most of the things she asked him to do.  
Nalim grinned with a renewed and vicious fervor. “I will. Shaxx?”  
“Anytime you need.”  
There he went again.  
…  
“Asha’s messaging me. She says change of plans. Call Nalim.”  
Callisto bit her lip. She didn’t want to be yelled at. She just really, really wanted to be done with this. “She already knows where we are. Can’t be much harm in answering now. I’ll go either way.”  
Argo’s shell crackled, and that sweet familiar voice rang through. “Cali?” Passion, worry.  
“I have to go. I have to. Please don’t yell at me.”  
“I know you do. Let me come to you. I won’t try to stop you.”  
“What?” She slowed the pike down.  
“You have to answer the Shard. I have to protect you. You don’t know what you’re walking into.”  
“You don’t either.”  
“You’re my kinderguardian.”  
“What if you die?”  
Nalim gave a sharp, genuine bark of a laugh. It surprised her. “According to everyone, I’m very hard to kill. If whatever’s calling you kills me, it deserves the bragging rights. Now slow your ass down.”  
Callisto laughed, slowing down the pike. She felt her eyes burn and paid them no mind.  
…  
Europa charged into the barn with a look of relief and joy. “They’re together! Nalim caught up and they’re going to figure out what’s messing with Cali together.”  
Shaxx grinned, although Europa couldn’t tell. “VERY good! They will make it back much easier with teamwork. Europa! Take a rest. Take Alexi with you. I will wake you when they return.”  
She slouched her shoulders. “You’re sure?”  
“I never waver.”  
“That’s...true. Yeah.” She grinned. “ALEXI!”  
A thump hit the outside of the barn wall. Alexi turned to see what was happening, but his lights were dim. Euri giggled. “Was that your head, sleepy?”  
He gave a dreary nod.  
…  
It had been hours. The Shard was massive, and far away, with Nalim weaving through trees and guiding her to the edge. Once they’d gotten close enough, it was Callisto’s intuition that had to lead the way, and the fearful pit in her stomach was muddling the instructions.  
“Nalim?”  
“I’m still here. Just out of sight.”  
In the perimeter of the Shard, the forest was visibly corrupted. It was dark everywhere. A hunter’s paradise. Even if Nalim wanted to be, she probably wouldn’t be visible. So Callisto trudged through shadows alone towards the inner pull.  
“This was the dream. This was why.”  
Argo responded. “What?”  
“I’m dragging myself through darkness to get to the Shard. Everything around it is corrupted. Tainted. It was telling me I had to pull through.”  
“Why did we keep falling in then?”  
Callisto looked up to where she guessed Nalim was, and the minute shine of a gun met her eye. She made the motion of pulling on a string.  
“Huh. Makes sense.” Argo’s voice told her he would smile if he could. “You’re on a leash.”  
“I am not on a leash.”  
“Who’s on a leash?” Nalim sounded a mix between concerned and amused.  
They responded the others’ names in tandem. Nalim barked another laugh. 

Eventually the Shard came into view, and she felt the mix of acid and intuition swirl intensely in her stomach. The Fallen in the area fell to either Callisto or Nalim within a minute. They were less than a thought compared to what they were near.  
Now, just Callisto stood in front of the Traveler’s Shard.  
“I’m scared.”  
Nalim’s voice came clearly through her helmet, and she felt her mind stand with it like a crutch. “I’m not going to let anything bad happen to you. Do what you need to do.”  
“If the Shard corrupts me…”  
“The fuck did I just say?”  
Callisto chuckled, and approached the wall.

They stood there quietly. Neither knew really what to do, but after some time something expanded from it and enveloped both of them. It wasn’t really visible, but she could feel it shuffle through her body like a stack of cards. Argo materialized in her palm, and she looked at her own hand in wonder. She didn’t feel it move. She hadn't thought about moving it.  
“Argo…?”  
“There’s something...here. Can you feel it?” His voice bounced around her skull, reverbing. He sounded amazed, and very very far away. “It’s…”  
“What...is it?” She felt a little like she was underwater.  
“Light.”  
Her hand drifted towards the wall, but Argo went between them.  
“Callisto. Hold still.”

Ask her later, and she would say it felt like Argo was shooting her, a beam going straight through her and atomizing her to dust, but now, in the moment, she felt like a spool. A long, brilliant thread of light wrapping around her, pulling everything she was connected to. The moment it collided with her, she stumbled back, wondering if this was it, but then the thread stretched to her arms, her legs. It wound tighter and tighter around her bones and the light under her skin followed it like a magnet.

“Cali…?” Nalim. “You okay?”  
Argo snickered, giggled, then laughed louder than she’d ever heard. His shell spun with joy. “We’ve got our LIGHT BACK!”  
“WHAT?!”  
Callisto looked at her hands, grinning like they were smiling back. “I’VE GOT IT! NALIM! WE HAVE OUR LIGHT!”  
Asha appeared in Nalim’s dark corner. “Would you look at that? A happy ending? Who knew?” She laughed.  
“This is only the start.” Nalim felt high, low, and the two were warring. Callisto was immortal. She had her powers. But she was the only one. The cracks in the Shard before her were dark. The Traveler had chosen her, and there was no going back.  
“Hey, Cali. All your celebrations are drawing attention.” Asha’s voice sounded light and playful. Genuinely so. It’d been a while. “You wanna take care of it?”

Callisto gave a loud whoop, waves of arc electricity coming off her as she bounced. “HELL yeah!” With the flick of a wrist, a brilliant blue staff appeared in her hand.

Nalim watched her rip through the Fallen emerging with a small smile. “Brings a new definition to Lightbearer, doesn’t it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nalim: tell me something encouraging  
> shaxx: ur student is like you  
> nalim: i said ENCOURAGING

**Author's Note:**

> please leave comments if u enjoyed the story so far! comments remind (and encourage) me to actually update lmao


End file.
